Bay Staters in King Arthur's Court
by WhoGotMerLocked
Summary: Set after season 4, three months after Arthur and Gwen's marriage. Two sisters from the 21st century suddenly find themselves in Camelot. They each find love there. Summery kinda sucks, but the story's good.
1. Chapter 1

**In case you guys are wondering, the title is a reference to a Mark Twain novel, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and Bay Stater is nickname for someone from Massachusetts. **

* * *

**PROLOGUE **

**In the forest outside of Camelot**

_Left foot. Right foot._ The raven-haired girl laboriously kept going. She carried two heavy backpacks full of supplies and her blonde sister, who was unconscious, in her arms. _Left foot. Right foot. Come on, you can do this._

They had ben wandering for three days, absolutely no idea where they were. The two sisters were spending the week at their family lake-house. They had gone out hiking around Avalon Lake and suddenly found themselves in unknown territory. Though they were on the very same lake, the greenery was much more wild, overgrown. Serene. The lake-house was nowhere in sight.

They had immediately set out to find civilization.

The brunette shivered. All she wore was a low-cut crop shirt and jeans. She had given all her warm clothes to her sister. Her stomach rumbled. She had also given most of her food to her sister, but the blonde didn't have her sister's endurance and thus the brunette was stuck carrying they twenty-pound packs and her sister for miles.

She stopped to rest and laid her sister down on the forest floor. The blonde woke.

"Where are we?" Her voce was faint and weak.

"I don't know."

"Have you been carrying me the whole time?"

"Yes."

"Thanks. You should get some sleep." And with that the blonde drifted back into peaceful slumber, no doubt dreaming about being back home.

The brunette knew she could not sleep. She must keep watch, make sure nothing snuck upon them in the middle of the night.

In the morning, she picked up her sister, who was still sleeping, and the packs once more, starting out again.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER ONE:**

Arthur, the knights and Merlin were riding through the forest on a hunt.

They had just made camp and had sat around the fire, eating Merlin's stew and teasing him out of his bowl, when they heard the snapping of twigs.

They all froze and Arthur and the knights (Gwaine, Percival, Leon and Elyan) grabbed their swords and set out silently, Merlin trying his best not to step on dry leaves and give their presence away.

Darkness had not yet fallen, so they could see the two girls clearly. The knights put their swords away and Merlin relaxed_. What could these obviously starving girls possibly do to us?_ The knights were thinking.

Arthur examined them. One girl was tall, lean, and had choppy, shoulder length raven hair and icy cerulean blue eyes. She carried two heavy packs.

The other slept in the blue-eyed girl arms. Her long, honey blonde hair fell in waves and her eyes were closed.

The brunette notices them and shakes the blonde gently awake and sets her to stand on her own two legs. The knights were less than fifteen feet away. The brunette turns slightly, so she can face the blonde, but keep a skeptical eye on them.

"Sister, I want you to stay behind me, stay quiet, and what ever you do, _don't _let them hear our names, you understand. Let me do the talking," the brunette whispers to her sister.

Her sister nods, her emerald green eyes wide, and the brunette turns back to them. The blonde does as she's told and stands slightly behind the brunette and leans on her for support. The blonde sister looks scared, while the brunette eyes the knights (and Merlin) calculatingly.

When they are five feet away, the blonde inches backwards, but the brunette stays tall and strong.

"Who are you?" she asks.

Arthur's didn't like that.

"Who are we?" Anyone with half a brain can tell he's forcing down his anger. "I don't think you are in the position to be asking such questions of me. Don't you know who I am? The real question is who are you?"

"I am in as much position to be asking questions of you as you are to me. And obviously I don't know who you are, otherwise I would not have asked." Her voice was calm. Tired. And surprisingly wise.

Arthur was slightly dumbfounded. "How dare you speak to me like that?!"

"What reason do I have to not?" Before Arthur could answer, she continued, "I believe we have gotten off on the wrong foot. My sister and I have been wandering for days. We are running out of food, and we have no idea where we are. My sister is growing weak, as you can probably tell. Would you mind telling us where we are?"

"And how to get back to Massachusetts from here?" The blonde put it, her voice faint and gentle compared to her sister's.

The brunette flinched.

_To get to where? _Merlin thought.

"We do not know of this _Massachusetts _that you speak of." Arthur sounded as confused as Merlin felt and the rest of the knights looked. And Merlin practically had the map of the kingdoms memorized.

The all the blood left the brunette's already pale face.

"You do not know what Massachusettsis?" the brunette's voice was still steady.

They all shook our heads.

"What about America?" the blonde's voice, however, shook as if she stood on a chair with only one leg.

They shook our heads again.

"Please tell us, where are we?" the brunette asked.

"You are in Camelot."

"Camelot?" the brunette repeated faintly.

"That is what I said," Arthur sounded annoyed.

Silence.

"When is it?" the brunette asked finally.

"I don't understand your question."

"It is October, right?"

They all eyed her curiously, before Arthur answered, "Yes."

"But what is the year?"

"It is 1132 _anno domini."_

The blonde feinted, her legs buckling and hair flying out around her. Arthur and the knights moved to catch her, but the brunette, being, closer, caught her sister and swung her up into her arms.

"And who are you?" the brunette spoke again.

"Tell us your names first," Arthur demanded.

The brunette hesitated for a moment before answering, "My sister's name is Aurora, and my name is Blair."

"Pleasure to be of your acquaintance, um, Blair," the knights said simultaneously.

_Blair, what an odd name for a girl_, They were all thinking.

"As you might have already guessed from our clothes and speech," Blair said, "Aurora and I are not from this time. We are from the year 2012, in the 21st century. 880 years in the future. We don't know how we got here, or how to get back to our time. We only ask for food and shelter."

"You will get that, of that I promise you, Blair," Arthur declared, "I am Arthur, King of Camelot, and these are my knights: Gwaine, Percival, Leon, and Elyan."

Of course, he didn't introduce Merlin.

"King Arthur?" She repeated incredulously, "And his Knights of the Round Table?"

"How do you know of that?"

"There will be time to explain that later, now, please, help my sister. She needs food and rest, or she will not last long."

"Yes, yes of course, follow us. And let Percival carry your sister, you look tired." Arthur commanded.

Percival moved forward to take Aurora, and Blair said politely, "You're not touching her."

"I wont hurt her, don't worry," Percival said in his deep kind voice.

Blair eyed him skeptically. "You _do _hurt her, and you're a dead man." And placed Aurora in Percival's string arms.

We walked back to camp, and Percival placed Aurora gently by the fire. Merlin came over and examined her, using the physician's skills Gaius taught him.

After a couple minutes, he said, "She'll be fine, She just needs some food, water, and rest."

"Thank you, you are very kind." Blair smiled at him, relief showing on her face.

"Of course," Merlin smiled back.

He examined her clothing up close. She had on a short-sleeved blue top that exposed a little bit of her midriff, and tight pants made out of some blue material Merlin couldn't identify.

She noticed him staring and laughed for the first time since they had found her. "They're called jeans and they're made out of denim, and the shirt is called a crop top."

They sat back around the fire, Blair leaning up against a tree, her sister's head in her lap.

"So, how did you know about the round table?" Arthur asked her.

"There are great legends in our time about you. King Arthur and his noble Knights of the Round Table. Elyan the Courageous; Leon the Loyal; Percival the Strong; Gwaine, sometimes called The Perfect Knight;" (Gwaine's chest puffed out at this) "Lancelot the Brave, the noblest of them all/Lancelot of the Lake, who gave his life for his king. And finally, King Arthur, the greatest king the world has ever known who ruled over the most beautiful kingdom the world will ever know."

"Wow," They all said at the same time.

"I told you that you would be the greatest king the world has ever seen, Arthur," Merlin said to Arthur.

"No need to get cocky, _Merlin._ You weren't in the legends."

"You're Merlin?" Blair breathed.

"That's me." I said, "The great King Arthur's manservant."

"You, Merlin, are most definitely in the legends. You are perhaps even more famous than Arthur."

Merlin was in shock. So was Arthur. "Merlin?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes," Blair nodded, "Is there magic in this land?"

"Yes," Arthur nodded.

"Are you a sorcerer?" Blair asked me Merlin.

He carefully controlled his face. She knew about his secret? This was not good. Not good at all.

"No." His voice sounded strained, "Why would you ask such a silly question?" None of the knights noticed his discomfort, but Blair certainly did.

"In most of the legends, you are the greatest, most powerful warlock of all time. But I guess it must not be so. Other legends say you are King Arthur's war general or his most trusted friend. I'm betting on the latter."

"That parts true," Merlin said relaxing.

"Tell us more of these legends, please," Leon requested.

"Well, there's Morgan le Fey, Arthur's half sister, who becomes Morgana, the evil witch."

Arthur flinched, "She was never Morgan le Fey, always Morgana, but she is evil."

Blair nodded, "Mordred, who is said to be your son by one of your half sister, either Morgana or Morgause.

"Son by Morgana? Disgusting," Arthur's face contorted. "Mordred is not my son. If he was he wouldn't hate me so much."

"Next time you get a chance, kill him. Because if you don't kill him, he will kill you. Mordred is said to be your doom."

"Duly noted." Arthur said.

"And then there's Emrys," Blair didn't see Arthur's look of disgust and hatred because her gaze was focused on Merlin, "Was the druid name of a great sorcerer who, though Arthur would see him dead, worked on Arthur's side, saving his life even when Arthur didn't know it."

"Emrys killed my father, and he would see me dead, too," Arthur spat.

Blair turned her sharp gaze to Arthur and he struggled not to flinch back from the judgment in it. "I would not be sure that he killed your father and wants you dead. The legends tell that Emrys is a great ally of yours, thought you may not know it. Emrys is said t be Morgana's doom and Albion's savior."

"Then the legends are wrong," Arthur said with finality, ending the conversation.

"I suppose they are," Blair said, again looking pointedly at Merlin. Still, the knights noticed nothing strange.

"Let's get some rest, we have a long day tomorrow," Arthur said and they all made up their bedrolls and laid down to sleep.

Once she was sure everyone else was asleep, she placed her hand over Merlin's mouth to keep him silent and shook him awake. He struggled until he recognized her.

She put her finger to her lips and took her hand off his mouth. She got up and walked into the woods. He followed.

Once they were far enough away to not be heard, she turned to face him.

"You have magic."

He started to deny it.

"Don't try and tell me you don't. I saw how scared you looked when I said the legends told that you had magic. Emrys is your Druid name and you are the greatest sorcerer ever to have walked this earth, why conceal it?"

"Magic is outlawed in Camelot on penalty of death," Merlin responded.

"Arthur wouldn't kill you, you're his friend."

"I guess I've never found the right time."

She nodded. "You will have to tell him at some point, or magic will forever be outlawed."

"I know," he responded.

"Good."

They made their way back to camp and slept."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER TWO**

When Arthur awoke the next morning, Blair was already awake, stoking a fire.

"You're an early riser," he commented flopping back down onto his bedroll.

"I had to take care of Aurora. And I was up most of the night anyway."

"Why?" Arthur asked. "You have to be tired."

"I was trying to figure out how we got here."

"Did you figure it out?"

"I have a theory," she responded.

"And?" he prodded.

"There's a tale where we come from, that once every five hundred years, on full moon, a young girl on the Lake of Avalon can make a wish and it will come true. The night before we found ourselves here, Aurora wished that things were different. She didn't specify what she wanted to be different, so the magic of the lake picked randomly."

"That's a very interesting theory. When we get back to Camelot, we'll have to consult Gaius."

"How far are we from Camelot, King Arthur?"

"Two days ride," he answered, "And you can call me Arthur."

She nodded and went back to thinking.

Once everyone else was awake (including Aurora), the knights and Merlin started to dismantle camp. When Blair started to help, Gwaine asked, "Why are you helping?"

"Why shouldn't I?" was her reply.

"It's not woman's work."

"Where I come from, woman can do whatever men can. I hope you can respect that." She said tersely.

Gwaine started. No one had ever talked to him that way. The thought of woman being able to the same things men could had never occurred to him either. But whatever doubts he had on that were quickly chased out of his mind as Blair did as much of the work as he did and didn't complain about it.

When we had finished breaking camp, Arthur told the girls, "Aurora, you can ride with Percival, and Blair, you will ride with Gwaine." The knights mounted their horses

Blair helped Aurora mount, cupping her hands so her sister could step up to sit in front of Percival on his chestnut mare. Before Blair moved over to Gwaine's horse, she said to Percival, "My threat from yesterday still stands. You lay one appropriate finger on her and I will hurt you beyond imagining.

Percival rolled his eyes. "I don't know what thing are like in your times, Blair, but I, let alone any knights, would never treat a woman in any way she does not want to be treated.

_Blair's desire to protect herself is greater than any I've seen before. Her devotion is even greater than Merlin's,_ Arthur thought to himself as Blair nodded as if she liked this answer and then walked over to where Gwaine was perched on top of his white horse.

She eyed his hand skeptically when he reached down to help her up. She ignored it and swung up onto the horse by herself and slide into the saddle in front of him.

It was not a particularly large saddle, so Blair's back was pressed against Gwaine's chest.

She could here his heart through his armor and she was surprised to find it slow and steady.

He noticed that throughout the day-long ride, she kept her back as straight as possible and tried to touch him as little as she could. She swayed with the movement of the horse, but, other than that, she stayed still and quiet.

Throughout the whole day, Arthur, Merlin, and the rest of the knights were explaining about Camelot, the laws, the people, and how things worked in this time.

Aurora was full of questions, but Blair was silent.

Finally, they stopped for the night in a little meadow and dismounted, shaking out their legs. Blair again helped set up camp and thanked Merlin for dinner.

Gwaine had the first guard that night and he watched from the shadows as Blair closed her eyes, back against a tree trunk, her sister's head in her lap.

He had been watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, thinking about how he was usually able to figure people out, but Blair was someone he just could not crack, when he was startled out of his thoughts.

"I know you're watching me," Blair said, not loud enough to wake the sleeping forms on the ground, but loud enough for him to hear.

Her breathing rate hadn't changed, so she hadn't been asleep in the first place. He raised his eyes to her face. Her eyes were still closed.

"I'm trying to figure you out," Gwaine replied.

She opened her eyes, her sapphire ones meeting his hazel.

"Only two people, my sister included, has been able to do that," she sighed.

"What happened to the other?"

"He's in jail." She said rather bluntly.

Silence.

Her lips had the slightest quirk at the tips, but her tiny smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Let me know if you do manage to figure me out." She gently picked her sister's head up, moved her legs out from under it, and made her a pillow out of a blanket.

Blair then got up, made her way to a tree, and shimmied up to the highest branch.

She stood there, staring up at the moon, her silhouette outlined by the full moon.

She suddenly felt Gwaine on the branch beside her.

"It's so beautiful. The stars are so bright and the moon is so close. It's not like this back home."

"What's different?" he asked.

"The sky is polluted and sometimes there's so much light from the cities that you cant even see them."

"You sound as if you don't want to go back," he reflected

"I don't." she replied.

"Why not?"

"Here, I have a chance to be someone new; where no one knows my past, what happened to me. It's nice. I always wished I could live in this time period, and now I've finally got my wish. But Aurora's going to want to go home, and I have to be there to protect her, so I'm going to have to go home with her. If we ever find a way back, that is."

"What happened to you back home that you don't want anyone to know about?" Gwaine asked gently.

"If I don't want anyone to know, what makes you think I would tell you?"

He had no answer.

"If you want to know, ask my sister. But I don't want to talk about it," her voice lost its soft, sad tone and back to the clipped, impassive words that he's heard since they'd met. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I know better that to trust men like you." And with that, she shimmied down the trunk and went back to her original position, with her sister's head on her lap and eyes closed, but not sleeping.

Gwaine continued to watch her until Leon took over the watch.

The next morning, Blair didn't say a word to him, and when after she helped Aurora onto Percival's horse, she sat behind Merlin. As she wrapped her hands around Merlin's waist, Gwaine couldn't help but notice that she looked a lot more comfortable with Merlin than she had with him yesterday. She wasn't sitting up straight and straining not to touch, but was relaxed.

"So, tell us about yourself, Aurora," Arthur suggested, tearing Gwaine's attention away from Blair.

"Well, Blair is my twin, so we're both 21. Our mother was a fashion designer, and I take after her in personality. Our father was a general in the U.S. Army. Blair takes after him in personality, but I take after him in hair and eyes." She gestured at her long golden locks and emerald eyes. "I was valedictorian of my high school class, head cheerleader for the basketball team and the football team. I was president of most of the clubs at our school a middle school tutor, and Homecoming Queen."

Aurora went on and on. She was a friendly and talkative person and they all liked her a lot. She wasn't prissy as you might think for someone like her. And even though they had no idea what most of the things she said were, they nodded along and smiled.

She talked for maybe an hour, explaining different things, until she exhausted her vocal chords

"What about you, Blair? Tell us something," Arthur said, but there was no answer.

"She's asleep," Merlin said and pointed at his shoulder.

He was right. Blair's forehead was on Merlin's shoulder and she was sound asleep, her hands locked around Merlin's waist so she wouldn't fall.

"That's understandable," Aurora piped in, "She hasn't slept since we got here and she's barely eaten, too."

"Then let's let her sleep," Merlin suggested.

"Can you tell us a bit about her?" Arthur asked.

"Sure. Aurora was never a problem child, but not the perfect angel either." Aurora started, "She was always kind of the nearly Goth kid; all black eye-shadow and biker boots, leather jackets, and things like that. People were kind of scared of her. To people who knew her though, she wasn't bad. She was star of the girls soccer team, softball team, the girls football team, girls lacrosse, and other sports. She barley passed her classes with low B's and high C's, because she was more concerned about sports and working out. As soon as she could, she got a license and started driving us to school on a motorcycle. When I went to college for fashion design, she went to Westpoint, the officer-training academy, and was recruited to the Navy after graduating top of her class. She became a lieutenant in the Navy, just like our dad. She's been in battle before and she's seen things that no one should ever have to see and experienced things that I wouldn't have wished on even the worst people in the world."

"Last night, I was talking with her," Gwaine said, "and all of a sudden, she said, that she knew better than to trust men like me. What did she mean?"

"She has a problem with men who think their God's gift to woman and I think you fit in that category, don't you Gwaine?" Aurora raised an eyebrow.

Gwaine blushed before asking, "She also said something happened to her that she wanted to forget, but that if I wanted to know, I could ask you. What happened to her?"

"Oh, that," Aurora bit her lip and hedged, "We don't really talk about that."

"What happened?" Merlin pleaded.

"Fine," she sighed, "She was in the Navy, and she fell in love. With a guy who thought he was God's gift to woman and acted like it, too. I mean he was damn hot and all, but it was a bit much, for me anyway. But Blair thought she loved him and that he loved her back. But when she wouldn't give him top secret information, he turned her over to the enemy and they… well, I'm going to be blunt here, they raped her and tortured her until she either cracked and gave them the info or she was rescued. And, being Blair, the latter happened first. But our father was on the rescue team, and him being an old man was killed on the mission. She blames herself for his death. Our mother, hearing the news, told her she never wanted to see Blair again, that she was a disappointment. I took Blair's side and got kicked out, too. We moved out and three weeks later, our mother committed suicide from drug overdose leaving a note telling Blair she was sorry. Blair had post traumatic stress disorder for about a week until they diagnosed her healthy, but she still wakes up screaming from nightmares and let's no one but me close to her."

There was no reply from the knights. Gwaine had gotten his answer, but it was a lot darker than he thought it would be.

"Poor girl," Merlin whispered.

"On a brighter note," Aurora tried to lighten the mood, "You should see her fight sometime. She's like Jackie Chan or something. All karate/kung-fu master. The only thing she doesn't know how to do is swordfight and she really wants to learn."

"I will," Arthur said, "In the meantime, there's Camelot." He pointed at the beautiful white castle not too far in the distance.

Merlin woke Blair and the eight of them rode through the grand gates of Camelot.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER THREE**

Aurora looked around her in fascination and Blair noted every gateway, alley, street, and possible escape roots.

They rode into the courtyard and Percival helped Aurora down gently as Blair and the knights slid off themselves.

They turned towards the grand staircase. Standing towards the bottom step, was Gwen dressed in a rich, purple velvet gown with an A-line skirt, long flared sleeves, and a V-neckline. It was beautiful, in Aurora's eyes, being a fashion designer herself.

Arthur came up beside her and she smiled up at him. They exchanged a long kiss, and Aurora and the knights averted their eyes while Blair examined every inch of the courtyard and the castle with army-trained eyes.

When Gwen and Aurora broke apart, he beckoned Aurora and Blair forward.

Gwen examined their strange clothing, but, to her credit, her smile didn't falter.

"Gwen, meet sisters Blair and Aurora, they somehow have found themselves transported from the future, and I have offered for them to stay here until we find a way from them to go back." Gwen nodded, smiling, as if it were common for her husband to do such things.

"Blair, Aurora, meet my wife, Guinevere, Queen of Camelot."

Aurora curtsied and then rose, squealing, "You two are such a cute couple!"

Arthur blushed and Gwen smiled, before looking to Blair. She didn't curtsy just stood there.

"While you are in our land, Blair, we would appreciate it if you obeyed our customs," Arthur said, gently.

Blair tilted her head in acknowledgement before giving a small bow in Gwen's direction.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Queen Guinevere," she said.

"You may call me Gwen," she said.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Gwen," Blair amended.

"While you are here, you shall have rooms in the castle. We will have the best guest quarters prepared. Would the two of you like to room together or separately?" Gwen got right to business.

"Together, please," Blair answered.

"Very good," Arthur looked at Merlin, "Merlin, bring their bags to the room in the west wing; the one with the double bed. Girls, Gwen will show you around the castle and you will have until this evening to settle in and then you will be dining with us in the banquet hall."

But Blair, instead of going with her sister and Gwen, silently took one of her bags from him and followed him to the quarters that she and her sister would be occupying.

They arrived there and Blair walked around the room. It was probably one of the largest in the castle, besides the room Arthur and Gwen shared, of course, because of the double queen sized beds. The right and left sides were mirror images. The beds were in the center, nightstands beside them. There windows above both nightstands. At the end of each bed was a trunk and across the room, were two wardrobes, with dressing shades and mirrors on either side.

There was a dining table on the left side of the room, as well as a fireplace with a shield and sword above it.

Blair analyzed possible ways of escape, things that could be use to barricade the door, possible weapons (including the shield and sword on the wall), etc.

Finally, she sighed and collapsed into a chair at the dining table.

Merlin sat across from her. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," she rubbed her forehead with her hand, "Just a little tired is all. This is hard. And you wont be able to find a way back."

"I wont?" Merlin asked, raising a brow, "And you know this how? Might I ask?"

"Because there are legends about Blair and Aurora. We're not leaving. It's not like I don't like it here, but its just going to be so different. Everything I believe in is not viable here. "

"Arthur values the guidance of his people and I think he will value yours especially. So if you want for him to accept the way you think, you should talk to him."

"You really think he'd listen?"

"Yes," Merlin replied, "Of that I am sure."

"Well then," she said, "I will speak with him."

Just then, Gwen and Aurora opened the doors and entered the room, laughing like they'd been best friends for forever. Blair felt a slight twinge in her heart when she saw that: it had been years since she had laughed like that with anyone, but she concealed her emotions within her mask of indifference.

Aurora turned in a circle, taking in the entire room.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed.

"We do our best," Gwen replied, smiling. "I will leave you to get settled. If you need anything, feel free to ask Merlin. He will get some clothes for you for this evening. See you soon."

Gwen left the room gracefully, her skirt trailing behind her.

"I'm going to let you get settled and find some appropriate clothes for you."

Merlin left, too, leaving Aurora and Blair all alone.

"I get the left side of the room," Aurora said.

"You always do," Blair smiled.

They both sat down on the bed that was now Blair's.

"Are you going to be ok here?" Blair asked.

Aurora nodded. "How 'bout you?"

Blair nodded, too.

"I like it here," Aurora said suddenly.

"Me, too."

They were silent.

"We should unpack," Aurora said.

"That your favorite part of settling somewhere new," Blair smiled, "Unpacking."

Aurora smiled, "Yes it is."

They got off the bed and the each put their modern clothes in the trunk at the ends of their beds, since they probably weren't going to be able to wear them here.

"You don't think we're going to be able to leave, do you?" Aurora asked suddenly, turning to face her sister.

Blair regarded her sadly and calmly before slightly shaking her head. "I don't know."

"You don't want to leave." Aurora inflected.

"Not really," Blair said, "I like it here. Life would be so simple. But, if a way is found to go back home, and you want to leave, I will go with you."

"Dammit, Blair!" Aurora shouted.

Blair started. Her sister rarely shouted and almost never at her. Merlin walked in right then, and froze in the doorway, but neither of them noticed him.

"What?" Blair asked Aurora.

"Why do you have to be like this? All the time?!"

"Be like what?"

"All the time, it's whatever I want! All the time! You would sacrifice your happiness for me! Has it ever crossed your mind to let yourself be happy? Be vulnerable? Has it ever crossed your mind that I want to help you?"

"As he died in my arms, our father asked me to take care of you with everything I have. You're my little sister, Aura, I would sacrifice my life for you. You know that."

"Exactly my point!" Aurora looked both exasperated and on the verge of tears, "I want you to be happy, too! I don't want you to be unhappy because you think it'll get me what I want. I want you to be happy, too. I love, Blair, and it kills me when you put on your mask and hide your emotions from me. I'm your sister! I want you to trust me!"

"I do trust you, Aura." Blair whispered.

"No, you don't! After everything that happened, you haven't wanted to share anything! You haven't trusted anyone because you're afraid that they're going to leave you, like our parents did. I'm not going anywhere! And sadness is a part of life. You have to know sorrow to know happiness and love when it's staring you straight in the face. A life without love is a life unlived, Blair. And you wont let yourself feel love anymore because your afraid! And you cant keep living like this!"

Aurora burst into tears and Blair folded her sister into her arms.

When a single tear slipped down Blair's cheek, Merlin decided he should probably go.

He tried to quietly exit the room, but Blair, still holding her sister and her head turned in the opposite direction from the door, said, "Merlin, I know you're there. You can come in. But, if you even _think_ about speaking of this to anyone, you're dead."

Merlin smiled as he realized how like Arthur that was.

Aurora pulled out of Blair's arms and dried her face.

"What have you got for us, Merlin?" Blair asked.

He looked down at the stack of clothes in his arms.

"They're just for tonight. I'll get you more for the rest of your stay later. But," he held up on dress in one hand and the other in his other hand. "This one is for you, Aurora." He gave her the green dress "and this one is for you, Blair." He gave Blair the blue one.

They both glanced down to the material in their hands. They were identical, except for the color. They were much like the dresses Morgana used to wear before she turned evil. They were both silk, with a square neckline and sheath skirts. The sleeves were long and flared. Though, they were not as elegant as Gwen's, they were quite beautiful.

"Its so pretty!" Aurora squealed and darted behind the changing curtain. She rapidly through all her modern clothes over the curtain and then emerged in the dress.

"You look beautiful!" Merlin said and Blair agreed.

She did look stunning. Merlin had managed to fins a dress that matched the exact color of her eyes.

"You're turn, Blair," Merlin said.

"Absolutely no chance in hell." Blair replied, "The dress is beautiful, Merlin, but I don't wear dresses."

"Why not?"

"They impede my ability to fight."

"Wear it tonight, for me?"

Blair raised a brow.

"For Arthur?"

"Sorry, there's no chance."

"Whatever you say," Merlin smiled.

"How much time do we have before the feast?" Blair asked suddenly.

"About three/four hours," he replied.

"Thank you," she replied, "Can I have some coins?"

"Um, sure," Merlin dug some gold coins out of his pocket and handed them to her.

"Thank again," she said before sweeping out of the room. She found her way down to the markets in the lower town.


	5. Chapter 5

******I have no idea what happened when I first uploaded this or how i didn't notice it till now, but all chapter five didn't upload correctly the first**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR  
**

Merlin offered Aurora and Blair his arms. Aurora laced her arm through his but Blair pointedly ignored it and walked next to him.

The knights and Arthur rose as they entered. And did a double take at Blair.

With the money Merlin had lent her, she had bought black, skin-tight, leather pants and a breezy black tunic that she had tucked in, and cinched with a thick black belt. Her boots were shin high and they could see a large dagger strapped to her calf.

Aurora sat on Gwen's left and Blair sat on Arthur's right. The knights sat and the food was brought out.

"Blair, Aurora, you are our guest in the castle," Arthur said, "But eventually, you will have to earn your keep to be respected by the people."

Aurora thought for a moment before exclaiming, "Gwen, it would be an honor to design your dresses."

"You are a designer?" Gwen asked interestedly.

"Yes."

"I would like a sketch by tomorrow and then I will see if you are fit for the job."

"Thank you, Queen Gwen." Aurora said brightly, seeming to burst from the seams with energy.

"And you Blair?" Arthur turned to her.

"In our world, Arthur," Blair started, "woman are allowed to do what ever men can. You asked me to respect your customs while we are here, and I will do my best, but this is one issue is something I will always live by and I hope youcan respect it, too."

Arthur nodded his head in agreement. "That being said," Blair continued, "I would like to learn to swordfight and I would like to know who would teach me."

Arthur refrained from looking shocked. Aurora was right: Blair did want to learn to swordfight. It fascinated him: a woman being so strong and doing men's work. He wondered whether her attempts would succeed or fail.

"Gwaine can teach you," he answered and then raised his voice, "Cant you, Gwaine?"

Gwaine paused in his conversation with Percival and looked over at Arthur. "Cant I, what?" he asked.

"Teach Blair the art of sword-fighting," Arthur concealed a slight smirk.

"Sure," Gwaine replied. He looked to Blair whose face slightly tense. She glared at him when he said, "Meet me on the training grounds tomorrow at noon."

"Fine," she replied.

He smirked.

Blair stared down at her food. She noticed a slight engraving on the side of the plate. It was a triquettra.

_**Flashback**_

_She sat on the cold stone, pressed against the wall._

_Thomas came to the bars of her cell. "How are you feeling today, sweetheart?" the man she had thought she loved said to her._

_She stared numbly at him and didn't say a word. She felt nothing. Nothing but a chilling numbness, seeping to every fiber in her body. She had been feeling like this since Thomas had betrayed her._

"_Still don't want to talk?" he ripped open her cage, yanking her out of it and down the hall._

_She was strapped to a table, her hands and legs tied to the cold metal, a restraint around her throat and waist._

_He took a small, blunt dagger from the shelf beside the table. She came closer to her._

"_This is so you never forget," he snarled._

_He placed the dagger against her bare stomach and started to drag against her skin._

_She screamed in agony as the dagger traced white-hot lines of pain on her torso._

_By the time he was done, she had a triquettra carved onto her skin, bloody and horrifying. She had thought it had been a sign of their love, but now it was branded on her skin, a symbol of hatred and betrayal._

"_How do you like it, darling?" he asked her. "Beautiful isn't it?"_

_**End of flashback**_

"Blair? Are you alright?" a voice called to her.

She snapped out of her daze and saw Aurora and Merlin kneeling next to her and Arthur and Gwen looking concerned, the rest of the knights had cleared out of the room.

"Oh, yes," she replied, "I'm fine. Just remembering something is all." She stood.

"Well, if you're alright, the men have prepared some entertainment for you." Arthur said and they followed him to the training grounds.

There, Percival and Gwaine had their shirts off and were standing side beside inside a boxing ring.

Aurora stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the two amazing well-built men standing in front of her.

Their pectoral and abdominal muscles were well defines and their biceps and triceps bulged.

"Something wrong, Aurora?" they knights looked to her while Blair fought to contain laughter.

While she fell to the floor in a rare show of laughter, rolling on her back howling, Aurora continued to stare at Percival's chest.

Finally, Aurora couldn't take it anymore and she swooned, falling onto Blair's chest, knocking all the air for laughter out of her.

Blair helped her sister up and kept chuckling.

"What was that all about?" Arthur asked.

Aurora blushed furiously and Blair explained, "Not many men in our time care to keep their bodies so well-defined as your knights and my sister was in utter shock at their bodies."  
Gwaine and Percival smiled before the wrestling commenced.

That evening, Blair and Aurora returned to their rooms and slept, Aurora still thinking about Percival's amazing body.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER FIVE**

The next morning, Blair made her way to the training grounds. She was wearing the same thing as the previous night. She drew curious stares from the knights her eyes found Gwaine off to the side.

"You're here," he sounded surprised.

"I wanted to learn to swordfight, and Arthur told me that you would be my teacher, so I'm here."

Gwaine nodded in approval. "So do you know anything about sword fighting?"

"I know how to fence, but the swords are lighter and I think it's quite different."

Gwaine thought for a moment before picking up an extra sword he had brought.

"Try this," he handed it to her, "it might be too heavy."

She scowled at him and said, "I'm stronger than I look." She took the sword and wrapped thin fingers of both hands around the hilt.

"Not too bad?" Gwaine asked.

"Not heavy at all."

"Show me the stance you use when you are fencing."

Blair set her legs shoulder width apart and crouched a bit, lifting the sword easily, holding it out in front of her as if she was about to attack.

Gwaine circled around her examining her. "Pretty good, bust need to steady yourself here." He was behind her and he lightly held her hips and moved them a bit more centered.

"If your hands go any farther down my body, you will be in the market for new fingers. Just a fair warning," Blair growled in warning. Gwaine quickly removed his hands from her waist.

He averted his eyes from her as he said, "Let's see what you can do."

He grabbed his sword and the started to spar. He was light and nimble and darted out of the way of his blade. She was able to swing her sword pretty well, and she gave him a few shallow cuts, but nothing that could kill a man. They continued on, Gwaine assessing her skills.

By the time they were finished, he had decided "I will continue to teach you, but you may need some more muscle in your arms."

She nodded and they finished their lesson for the day.

That afternoon, Percival, Gwaine, Leon, and Elyan decided to go to the tavern.

When they walked in, their attention was immediately drawn to two people standing in the center of the room. One was very fat and burly and the one whose back was to them was very slight.

"I don't serve to woman with no male company. Unless you want to be in my bed tonight, that is."

"I would like a flagon of ale and that is all. I will pay for it. What difference is it whether I have a man with me or not?" The voice was Blair.

"You will have to find another tavern." The man said, sounding angry.

"Fine. I'm sure that your ale smells just as bad as you do, anyway."

Before she could turn away, the man raised a hand and slapped her across her cheek. Her head snapped to the side and the knights gasped when the saw blood at the side of her mouth.

Blair did not go running, crying about her split lip, as the knights expected, but instead turned her head slowly back towards the man, who was smirking at her.

"That was a _very bad _idea." She said slowly and quietly. And she raised her arm and delivered a punch that sent him sprawling. The big man tumbled to the floor and Blair spun on her heel and started to make her way out the door.

The man got up and was about to pounce on her from behind, and Gwaine and the rest of the knights were about to shout warning to Blair, when she spun around and sunk her fist into his fatty stomach.

He doubled over and stumbled past her. She kicked his ass and he fell on the floor once more. She placed her booted foot on his back and leaned down, whispering, "Take this as a lesson."

And, not paying attention to the stares from the rest of the tavern, Blair swept past the knights and out to the street.

They followed her and burst out laughing. She scowled at them and went back to the castle.

When she got back, she sat down at the table with Aurora. Aurora insisted on cleaning the blood from her sister's lip and chattered while she flitted about the room, arranging nothing. She had, like Blair, adapted to the dress of the times they were stuck in. Though, while Blair wore breeches and a shirt (the clothes of a man), Aurora started wearing dresses. They were nothing fancy, like the style of dresses Gwen wore when she was a servant, but they were made out of a more expensive material and embroidery. **(AN: because I couldn't think of a way to explain: a cross between Morgana's dresses before she was evil and Gwen's servant dresses).**

"So I showed Gwen a sketch today," Aurora said.

"And what did she think?"

"She's taking me on as her personal dress designer. I start work tomorrow creating a dress for the Autumnal Festival. I'm also being introduced at court tomorrow. You'll be there wont you?"

"Of course I'll be there!"

And she was. The next evening, Merlin escorted Aurora to court. She was absolutely stunning. She was wearing a forest green dress that highlighted her beautiful eyes. It had a tight corset top and a sweetheart neckline. The sleeves were tight, but billowed out around her wrists. The skirt was a ruched and trailed behind her.

Her hair was curled in waves, and her eyes were dusted in dark green, with bold lines traced around long eyelashes. Her lips were blood red in contrast to her pale skin.

For some reason, Percival felt a strange twist in his heart. _She is absolutely beautiful, _he thought.

For the next few weeks, approaching the Autumnal Festival, Blair continued her training and grew rapidly as a swords-woman, and Aurora worked on Gwen's dress all day long.

One day, finally, Gwaine decided the knights would watch Blair and he duel. It was a grand duel, so much so, that they had to take a break in the middle, because they were so tired, they could no longer raise their swords.

Just before the got back to dueling, Blair unbuttoned her black tunic, and took it off. Underneath, she wore a white undershirt, or "tank top" as she called it.

The continued to duel, and finally, they were at a stalemate, Erin had her sword under Gwaine's chin, and his was under hers.

The knights watching erupted in cheers and the lowered their swords and bowed. They left the ring. On the sides, she was listening to the men talk. She used the bottom hem of her tank-top to wiper her face, and that revealed her waist.

The knights around her were stopped whatever they were doing and stared. It was not because it was inappropriate for her to be revealing so much skin, (though it was inappropriate, to them), but because there was a raised scar on her stomach in the shape of a triquettra.

She noticed their staring and dropped her shirt. "Thank you for your teaching, Gwaine, and for this chance to prove myself."

And she left, heading back to the castle.

Blair found Gaius's chambers and was relieved when Merlin was inside.

"You're all sweaty," he commented, looking over at her sweat-soaked black tunic (which she had put back on).

"I had a duel with Gwaine," she responded and then said, "I need your help."

"With?"

She unbuttoned her shirt, and lifted up her tank to show him the triquettra.

"Is there anything you can do about it?"

"I'm afraid I cannot heal old wounds."

"Not even with magic?"

"I do not know any spells that would get rid of scars," he responded, lowering his voice, "but I could look."

"Thanks." Blair put her shirt back on.

Just then, Gwaine and Percival walked into Gaius's chambers, swinging open the door.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything," Percival said.

"Not at all," Merlin answered.

"As for my second request," Blair continued as if no one had interrupted them, "do you or Gaius know of any potions that might help suppress my period?"

"Period?" Merlin asked confused.

"A woman's monthly menstrual cycle."

Merlin blushed and Gwaine and Percival backed out of the room as he said, "I'm afraid not."

When Gwaine and Percival had closed the door, Blair grinned at him and then left, too.

Next, she found Arthur looking over papers in the council room.

"Arthur?" She came to a stop next to him.

"Yes, Blair?" he looked up.

"I would like to discuss something with you."

"Please sit," Arthur motioned to the chair next to him.

"I would like to become a knight."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SIX**

Blair was wandering around the castle, fuming. When she has asked Arthur about becoming a knight, he said, "he would think about it, but for now, she needed to find another way to earn her keep in Camelot."

_Bastard,_ Blair thought to herself, _all high and mighty on his throne, and wont let me even try._

She eventually came to the room she was looking for. She slipped inside and locked it behind her. She was in the music room. She always loved music, but she dared not let anyone know, because she knew it would make her seem weak.

She found a small lap harp and sat down on a bench. She strummed it, humming for a while, before raising her voice to sing.

Gwaine was just passing through when he heard the beautiful singing through the door of the music room. He approached it and looked through a little hole in the wooded door. He stifled a gasp when he saw it was Blair.

Then he left to find Arthur, smirking the whole way.

A couple hours later, Blair was doing sit-ups on the stone floor in her room when Arthur walked in.

"Make yourself at home," she mumbled as she flipped over and did push-ups.

He sat on the bed and watched her do a hundred pushups.

"You have to be here for something." She stood up, dressed in breeches and her _tank top_. She walked over to the bar that held up the curtains and started pull-ups, her biceps flexing, surprisingly strong for a woman.

"I have come to make a deal," Arthur said and she dropped back to the ground.

"Start talking," she sat down at the table and jugged some water.

"You still want to become a knight?"

"Yes."

"Then I will offer you this: you will have the opportunity, but your testing will be even more rigorous than any of the men's was. But you also have to have a job on the side, in case you don't make it, you have a source of pay."

"Deal," Blair set the cup back down on the table. "First question: what will be different about my training?"

"As well as having to duel me in a swords match, you will also have to duel me in mace and chain, and close-quarter dagger fighting, as well as hand-fighting. You will also have to prove that you can pass certain endurance tests as well as the men can. You will also have some war strategy tests. And, lastly, you will get the opportunity to teach my knights for a week or two, also as part of your test, just to show what you know."

Blair nodded, "Sounds fair."

Arthur started. "You passed the first test: controlling anger." He knew how she was fuming inside, not being able to have the same odds as the men, so of course, he wanted to make sure she could control that.

"I know," she took another gulp of water. "And second question: what job on the side do you have in mind?"

"You were singing in the music room today and I was told it was very beautiful. You will sing at the Autumnal festival, and if you do not make it as a knight, you will be permanent court musician."

Her hand clenched around the goblet. "Who heard me?" her voice was steely.

"I am smart enough not to tell you that," Arthur smirked.

"It was Gwaine wasn't it? Blasted, arrogant son of a bitch," she mumbled the last bit.

"Watch your language." Arthur said and grinned. "Any last questions?"

"Yes," Blair suddenly grinned devilishly. "When do I start training the men?"

"Tomorrow. I expect you on the training field after breakfast."

The next morning, Blair woke up, and had breakfast, grinning evilly the whole time. She dug cargo pants and a black tank out the modern clothes in her trunk. On her way outside, she found a long stick and made her way to the training courts.

"Men," Arthur announced when she stepped up next to him, "Blair here has decided she would like to become a knight." Many of the knights started and stared at her as if she had grown another head.

"As part of her training," the king continued, smiling devilishly like Blair, "She will be training you for a week or two. She is well qualified, being an athlete and a general back in her homeland. Have fun!" Arthur sat on the sidelines.

"You will not be joining us, dear king?" Blair asked, smiling with false innocence.

"No, I am content to watch," Arthur said getting nervous.

"Oh, but my dear Arthur, for your knights to respect you, you must do the same as them. That is, if you truly believe in what the round table stands for."

Arthur could not say no. So he stood next to Leon in the front row with Leon, Percival, Elyan, and Gwaine.

"Very good," Blair said, "Now, take your shirts off."

The knights looked hesitantly at each other before doing what they were told.

"Now stand straight, still, and silent."

She walked along in front and in between the rows and rows of knights, hands clasped with the stick behind her back. Elyan needed to keep quieter when he breathed, Gwaine was told to stop fidgeting, and Percival's back needed to be straighter.

Finally, she was finished and came back to stand at the front again.

"Very good," she said, hands again clasped behind her back, "Now I know what we need to work on. First, we are going to do exercises. This is what we call the squat. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and crouch a bit, hands held out in front of you." She demonstrated what she wanted them to do.

"That's hot," Gwaine whispered to Percival next to him.

Percival smiled.

"Gwaine, shut your mouth, or I will shut it for you." Blair was suddenly right in front of them and Gwaine shut up.

"Now go." The knights mimicked her movement and held their squat. After five to ten minutes, their legs began to burn, but Blair, who was doing the same thing, showed no signs of discomfort.

Finally, she let them stand up. "Now, bounce from foot to foot like this." **AN: I didn't know how to explain this but it's supposed to be like the football shuffle. You know, like in that movie, The Gameplan? When they're in training? Anyways, you get the idea.)**

They did as she instructed for another ten minutes.

She showed them how to do planks and various other things using commands she had learned in _football _and the army.

An hour later, she said, "Now we're going to put it all together. DO what I saw immediately after I saw it, understand?"

The knight nodded wearily.

"Shuffle! Shuffle right! Shuffle back! Shuffle left! Shuffle forward! Hit the ground! Plank for 60 seconds! Fifty pushups! Fifty sit-ups! Touch the sky! Squat!" As she called these things out, she walked along the rows examining each and every man and correcting their positions.

When she was in the back during planks, Gwaine decided to lie on the grass, thinking, since she had her back turned, she wouldn't notice. As always, he underestimated Blair.

All of a sudden she was in front of him.

"Attention!" (Which meant _'everybody up, hands behind your back, back straight, and mouth closed.'_) They did as they were told.

She lowered her voice, but still made sure everyone could hear t as she said, "Since Gwaine thinks he's too good to do it like the rest of us, he's going to do it by himself. Come up to the front, Sir Knight. Everyone else, at ease." (Which meant, _'legs farther apart and back a little less straight_.')

Gwaine stood in front and smirked at the gathered knights.

"Shuffle! Shuffle right! Shuffle back! Shuffle left! Shuffle forward! Hit the ground! Plank! Fifty pushups! Fifty sit-ups! Touch the sky! Squat!"

When his plank wasn't straight enough, she used the stick to swat his ass. "Straight back!"

When his squat wasn't at a ninety-degree angle, she used the stick to slap his thighs. "Ninety-degree angle! I trust you know what that means." She barked, exactly the officer that trained her.

When Gwaine was done, she let him stand with the rest of the knights, his uncovered chest rising and falling.

"Your group time, everybody, was fifteen minutes. Gwaine, yours was twelve. This is not good enough. You need to be faster."

"Blair, since this is part of your training, too, why don't you show us how its done?" Arthur said.

Blair squinted at him before obliging. She laid her stick down in front of the knights, just daring anyone to pick it up.

She moved back and started the exercise. At one point during her plank, Gwaine picked up the stick and walked around her and swatted her ass.

All of a sudden, Gwaine was lying flat on his back, arm twisted behind him.

"Back in the ranks, Sir Knight, and expect to be hearing from me later and be ready to pay for your offense."

Gwaine sauntered back next to Percival, smirking when Blair went back to her plank and finished the exercise.

Overall, it took her, even with the interruption, eight minutes.

Arthur nodded his head, impressed when she finished.

"Take a break, but be back here in an hour." She said. "Except for you Gwaine."

They knights dispersed, though Arthur, Leon, Elyan, and Percival (and Merlin, too, who had come and watched the training with avid interest) stayed and watched as Blair found a sturdy branch still atatched to a tree and made Gwaine hold himself with his arms at a ninety-degree angle for twenty minutes before she let him leave.

They knight came back and groaned when she made them run fifty laps around the castle, no stopping no walking. Then they came to a flagpole, where Merlin was waiting, and she said, "Every single one of you is going to get a chance to get that flag down, and none of you will be able to do it. And then Merlin will show you how its done."

All of the knights scoffed. _Merlin? She cant be serious._ They all thought.

"We will start with the dear king. Arthur, its your flag, let's see if you can earn it."

Arthur tried, he really did, but the metal was so slick, he slipped all the way back down. So did Gwaine, Percival, Elyan, Leon, and all the other knights.

When they had all failed, she said, "Merlin, your turn."

Merlin pulled something out of his pocket, and unsheathed it. It was a medium-sized glimmering dagger.

The knights watched in confusion as Merlin walked over to the flagpole, and sawed at the rope and pulley system that held it up in the air. He cut the rope, and the flag drifted down towards the ground.

Merlin picked it up, and handed it to Arthur.

"Being a knight isn't just about courage, strength and swordsmanship. You have to be smart, too. You need to learn discipline, the lot of you, but you also need to learn how to think things through logically and rationally to come up with the best solution. Class dismissed. Ill see you tomorrow at the same time."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

The rest of the week consisted of more training. Then, at the end of the week, Arthur decided that Blair would accompany the knights on a hunt. Merlin prepared the horses, and he, Arthur, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Elyan, and Blair headed out.

They hunted for most of the day, only catching a couple rabbits.

Then, the knights and Merlin decided to bring Blair to a tavern.

They entered and sat down at a table, the serving girl coming over to take their order.

They had just gotten their ale, when a group of burly men walked up to the bar.

"Where's my money?"

"We don't have enough to pay, I'm sorry!" The woman said helplessly.

"Then give me what you have!"

"We don't have enough!"

The man raised his hand and smacked her across the face.

Arthur, Blair, and the knights immediately stood up.

"The woman said she doesn't have enough, so why don't you leave and come back later?" Arthur said coldly.

"And who are you to boss me around?" the man stalked towards Arthur, not knowing who he was.

Arthur punched him in the gut and the man doubled over.

There was silence in the bar.

Then the man's friends charged and battle had begun.

The knights threw punch after punch and kick after kick, and Arthur saw Merlin climb up a ladder to a hayloft and motioned for the knights to do the same. They smiled as they quietly climbed the ladder and watch Blair fight.

At one point, she had downed all the men before backups arrived and looked around and then up at them.

"What the hell are you doing up there?" she shouted.

The knights smirked and watched as more men flooded the room. The peasants had already fled the tavern, so Blair used everything she could to fight. At one point, she grabbed a stack of plates and threw them out a rapid succession. At another, she jumped on a chair and spun on it, kicking out and then slid under a table.

She grabbed a billiards stick and blocked blows and knocked men's legs out from underneath them.

She started to climb the ladder, and, seeing men climbing up underneath her, pushed off the wall, taking the ladder with her and kicked out with both on her way down, kicking two men in the head. She continued like this for a while, until one man came up behind her and pushed her into the wall.

She froze when she felt the knife at her back.

"You know," she said, her voice taking on a seductive tone, "I'm sure we could work this out, if we really thought about it."

The man gave her just enough room to turn around, and she did, flipping her hair away from her face.

The man smiled and leaned in the place a rough kiss on her lips, and as he did so, she raised her knee and slammed it into his crotch.

He groaned and fell to the floor in pain.

Blair leaned over him and said, her voice again normal, "At this very moment, you are a student, and I am a teacher, and I sincerely hope u learned your lesson." And with that, she raised her foot and stomped on his nose, and the knights heard the horrifying crunch of bone as the man fell unconscious.

Blair turned to look at them and Arthur said, "Congratulations, you passed the test."

"Whoppee." Blair said and turned towards the door after motioning towards the ladder on the floor, "Good luck getting down from there. I'm out. Training starts tomorrow at the crack of dawn."

The knights watched through the open door as Blair swung herself up into her saddle and rode off, seemingly knowing exactly how to get back to Camelot.

Then they pondered how to get down.

They arrived for training the next morning and for the rest of the week coming up to the Autumnal Festival, Blair's training became even more vigorous.

Then, when Blair woke up one morning, Arthur came to her chambers saying. "There will be no training today, and I am looking forward to hearing you sing tonight."

The day of the festival had arrived.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER EIGHT **

"I have this dress for you," Arthur handed her a box, "Gwen and Aurora picked it out for you, and your sister altered it to look more of a mix of this time and your time. They also picked out matching jewelry and make-up. Aurora is helping Gwen with her dress, so I will assign a maid to you for the evening if you wish."

"I can get dressed on my own, thank you," Blair snapped, "And I am not wearing this dress."

"Yes you are," Arthur smirked back at her, "Part of being a knight is being able to follow orders. You will wear this dress if you wish to become a knight."

Blair frowned. She couldn't get out of this. "Fine," she snapped and snatched the box from Arthur, "I'll wear it and I will sing."

"Good," and he left.

That evening, the court had finished eating, and, while waiting for whatever came next, were admiring Aurora's handiwork at Gwen's dress. It really was quite beautiful. It was silk, of a gold color, sweetheart neckline, ball gown skirt, and had no sleeves but rather white satin gloves that went up to her elbows. She looked stunning.

Aurora herself was wearing a dress quite similar to what she wore when she was introduced to court, but tonight, her dress was purple.

Percival was admiring her, when Arthur stood and cleared his throat to get the court's attention.

"It is my pleasure to introduce you to Blair, Aurora's dear sister, who will be entertaining us tonight."

The grand doors of the hall opened and Blair walked in. The knights did a double take and Gwaine sucked in a breath at the beautiful woman before him.

The dress had a tight, dark blue bodice that tied tightly in the back and had a sweetheart neckline. The sleeves were tight and hooked around her middle finger on each hand with a sliver ring. The skirt was flow-y and billowed out around her ankles, and was also of the same dark navy color, and all over the dress there was silver embroidery depicting the stars and moon.

Her raven hair looked the same as usual: choppy, shoulder-length, and straight. Her blue eyes were accented because of the dress, the dark blue eye shadow, the dark lines of eyeliner, and her long eyelashes, and her lips were blood red against her pale skin. She wore a silver necklace with a pendant in the shape of a **_B. _**

Blair silently glided over to the harp on the little stage **(AN: think Merlin season 1 Episode 1, the witch masquerading as a singer, the stage at the end)** and sat down at the bench. "This song is called Greensleeves," she announced.

Her fingers moved to the strings and started to play. It was beautiful. There was tremendous applause from the hall when she was done.

"Time to song, Blair," Arthur said.

Blair fought not to glare at him before playing again.

_Are you going to Scarborough fair?  
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme  
Remember me to one who lives there  
He once was a true love of mine_

Tell him to make me a cambric shirt  
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme  
Without no seam nor needlework  
Then he'll be a true love of mine

Tell him to find me an acre of land  
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme  
Between the salt water and the sea strand  
Then he'll be a true love of mine

Are you going to Scarborough fair?  
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme  
Remember me to one who lives there  
He once was a true love of mine

She sat up from the bench and stood on the stage. "This song is called _The Voice._"

_I hear your voice on the wind  
And I hear you call out my name_

"Listen, my child," you say to me  
"I am the voice of your history  
Be not afraid, come follow me  
Answer my call, and I'll set you free"

I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain  
I am the voice of your hunger and pain  
I am the voice that always is calling you  
I am the voice, I will remain

I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone  
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow  
Ne'er do I sleep thoughout all the cold winter long  
I am the force that in springtime will grow

I am the voice of the past that will always be  
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields  
I am the voice of the future, bring me your peace  
Bring me your peace, and my wounds, they will heal

I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain  
I am the voice of your hunger and pain  
I am the voice that always is calling you  
I am the voice

I am the voice of the past that will always be  
I am the voice of your hunger and pain  
I am the voice of the future  
I am the voice, I am the voice  
I am the voice, I am the voice

She sang more and then the feast was over and she disappeared back to her room, bur first told the knights, "There will be training tomorrow, so don't be too hung over."


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it tok so long, but here you go!**

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

The next morning, the knights arrived at training and groaned when Blair worked them hard. They ran, they did pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, everything and anything that popped into Blair's head.

Finally, Arthur cut the training short.

"Blair," he said, "The time for your trial has come. Tomorrow, you will duel with sword, mace and chain, and with your bare hands. The competition starts at noon. Sleep well and don't eat too much. See you tomorrow."

The knights dispersed, but Blair stayed behind. Gwaine and Percival hid behind a tree and watch as she first attacked a dummy with a sword, and then with her feet and hands, and then with a mace and chain. She did everything that she made them do. She did sit-ups in the middle of the training field, and then found a sturdy branch and did pull-ups.

Then she swung up onto the branch and they lost sigh of her as she disappeared into the leafy foliage. The leaves stayed perfectly still and she made no sound as she climbed through the trees.

They didn't have a clue as to where she went until she silently dropped down from the branch behind them. She waited a few seconds and they still didn't notice her.

"Didn't your mothers teach you that spying is rude, especially when it's on girls?" she said, wryly.

They spun around to see her standing behind them, hands on her hips.

"Sorry," they mumbled as she walked away.

Blair arrived at Gaius's chambers and was glad to find that Merlin was there, reading a magic book.

"Hi," Merlin greeted, eyes not leaving the book, as Blair dropped into a chair.

"You nervous for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Eh," she replied, "I just want to know what I'm going up against. What's he like when he's fighting in situations like this?"

"He doesn't know how you fight, I don't think its right to tell you how he fights. It would tip the battle in your favor."

"I suppose you're right," Blair sighed.

Merlin still didn't look up from his book. "When you first asked to become a knight, I went to the armory and had some armor made for you. And a sword, too. They'll be ready by now. Just call for my order. They should fit perfectly."

"How do you know my size?" Blair asked skeptically.

"Your sister."

"Ah. That makes sense," she nodded in agreement, "Thanks, I'll go pick them up now. I don't like having to ask this, but will you help me with my armor tomorrow morning? I've never actually worn armor before, but if you're going to be busy with Arthur, that's' fine."

Merlin finally looked up at her. "I'll have to check with Arthur, but I'm sure I'll be able to."

Blair flashed one of her rare, real smiles. "Thanks, Merlin. You really are the best." And with that, she left the room and made her way to the armory.

The next morning, she was in her tent trying to figure out how to put her armor on. Merlin had come in and then had to leave when Arthur called for him. She was wearing tight black breeches, and was trying to get her corset on. Gwen had gotten it to her. It wasn't meant for fashion like the ones Gwen wore; its purpose was to keep Blair's chest completely flat.

All of a sudden, Gwaine walked in. "Merlin sent me to help you with your armor," he said.

She glared at him. "I don't need help."

"Merlin asked me to help come help you, so here I am, deal with it," Gwaine snapped back.

"Fine," she huffed, and turned her back to him, "Then tie this would you?" Indicating to her corset. "I can't seem to get it tight enough."

Gwaine awkwardly made his way over to her as she braced her hands against the pole in the middle of the tent. He grabbed hold of the corset strings and gave them a hard yank. All the breath left Blair's body as the corset tightened considerably.

Gwaine tied the cords and Blair started to breathe normally.

He then silently brought over her mail and she slipped it over her head.

Finally they were done with her armor. It was custom made for her and resembled the armor Morgana used to wear **(her armor is supposed to look Morgana's in the episode ****_The Castle of Fyrien_****)**.

"The first contest is with the sword," Gwaine said and picked up the sword Merlin forged for her.

Blair wrapped her thin, gloved fingers around the hilt. The scabbard itself was nothing to behold. She pulled it off. She hadn't yet seen or held the sword, _her _sword, yet. It was perfectly balanced and seemed to weigh nothing in her hand. Sunlight that streamed in from a hole in the tent shimmered on the blade and hilt. There was a large sapphire that matched her eyes set in the pommel and the blade had engravings of words. On closer inspection, the words were her name: _Blair of the Bay Staters_. Blair chuckled: she had told Merlin that people from Massachusetts were sometimes called Bay Staters.

She looked at the other side of the sword. On this side it read: _For the Love of Camelot_.

Gwaine held the tent flap open for her and wished her luck as they walked to the field.

She nodded her head in acknowledgement before walking to face Arthur.

"We'll here we are: your final challenge," Arthur declared staring at her, "Succeed and you join the elite, fail and your journey ends here. Blair, first daughter of Mark of Massachusetts," he nodded to the time-keeper and nodded, "Your time starts now." The time-keeper turned over the hour glass.

Blair swung her sword up, just in time to defend herself from Arthur's attack. The next few minutes were full of blocks, parries, lunges, side-steps, and feints.

When the hour-glass ran-out, they were at a stale-mate, each with their sword at the other's throat.

"Time is up!" The time-keeper shouted and the two lowered their swords.  
"Blair," Arthur declared to all who have gathered to watch, but still staring at Blair, "you have passed your first trial towards becoming a knight of Camelot. You have a half-hour break to rest, and then we will continue with mace and chain."

And so,a half an hour later, Blair stood, with a shield and mace. Merlin had had the shield made for her, too. It was blue, and in the center, was a full moon.

"Your second trial commences now," Arthur said and the time keeper again turned over the hour glass.

Blair was not as good with mace and chain as she was with the sword. The duel ended right before the glass ran-out with Blair on the grass, Arthur's foot on her chest, which was rapidly rising and falling, his mace in one hand, hers in the other.

"You have failed your second trail," Arthur looked slightly disappointed, "If you fail your next trial, your journey ends. If you succeed in your next trial, you will become a knight of Camelot. You have an hour and a half break for lunch and then your third trial will be hand fighting. But don't eat to much: we don't want you retching everywhere." Arthur ended in a smile and took his foot of her chest and reached down a hand to help her up.

She ignored it and stood up on her own and stormed off. Arthur shrugged and went to his tent in the other direction.

Merlin found Blair in her tent, pacing back and forth.

"Blair? I brought you lunch," he put the tray down on the table and sat down in a chair. "Are you alright?"

"Do I look alright?" she snapped in return, "He embarrassed me in front of all the other knights! Its disgracing!"

She dropped down into the chair next to him and sighed. "Sorry I didn't mean to snap," she rubbed her hands across her face as her whole demeanor changed.

She picked up an apple of the table, pulled a dagger out of her boot and started to cut up and eat the apple.

She offered him some but he took the bread instead.

"You did fine. _Men_ rarely beat Arthur in sword fighting, let alone mace and chain, but you tied with him with the sword, and you'll definitely beat him in hand fighting. You'll be fine."

"What makes you so sure I'm going to win the next round?" Blair asked.

"I saw you fight those men at the tavern, remember?"

Blair smiled, "Thanks for all the armor, the sword, and the shield, by the way. It really means a lot to me. I'm the type of person who really makes a lot of friends who would do this for me."

Merlin grinned his trademark goofy smile, "Is that why you act so open with me, but not with anyone else? Not even your sister?"

Blair nodded, "I trust you," and with this, she stretched across a couple chairs, and put her head in his lap.

"Wake me up when Gwaine comes in to let me know its time for the next fight. And don't let me forget to take out all of my knives."

He nodded and she promptly fell asleep.

When Gwaine walked into Blair's tent and saw her sleeping in Merlin's lap his hand on her hair, he didn't know why his heart seemed to twist pain-fully in his chest.

He watched on with strange feeling as Merlin shook her awake and she raised her head out of his lap and sat up.

"Are you two… you know?" he asked passed the strange lump in his throat, somehow able to keep his voice steady.

"Absolutely not!" Blair looked disgusted and Merlin flushed a deep red, "I mean, no offense Merlin, but no."

"Just friends," Merlin agreed.

Gwaine nodded skeptically, as a great wave of relief rushed through him.

"Anyway," he said, "it's time for your next trial."

Blair nodded and rose from her chair.

"Don't forget to take out all of your knives!" Merlin reminded her.

The two men watched as she reached down to her boot and pulled out a large dagger. Then she took two out from where they were strapped to each shoulder, and then she was ready to go.

"Your third trial decides whether you become a knight. It starts now." The hourglass turned over for the last time.

Arthur threw a punch and Blair dodged. The next few minutes were filled with dodges, punches, kicks, and blocks.

As Merlin predicted, when it was over, Blair had Arthur pinned on the ground. His arms were held to the ground by her feet, and her hands were wrapped around his neck.

The guards rushed in and dragged her off him.

Two hours later, Blair kneeled on the dais, head down. She felt a sword on one shoulder and then another.

"Rise as Sir Blair, Lady Knight of Camelot," she hear Arthur said and she rose, one of her rare smiles brightening her face.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER TEN**

Blair woke up the next day a knight of Camelot. She made her way down to the training fields, and instead of training the men, she was training with them.

They were sitting at the table at a break when Gwaine made his mistake.

"So, _Sir Blair, _you've made it this far, how do you think you're going to do on your first patrol in a couple weeks?" he asked, snidely. It was obvious that he had too much to drink the night before at Blair's knighting celebration.

They knew her well enough that they flinched when he said this and slunk back from the cold, piercing glare.

"I think I am going to do _very well,_ thank you very much," she responded.

"What are you going to do when someone tries to make a move on you?"

"I apologize for Gwaine's attitude," Elyan said, "I think he had a little too much to drink last night."

"Does that matter?" Blair turned her piercing gaze to him.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, curiously.

"The strong are wiser than the weak, because they think before they speak," was her reply and took a swig from her clay water cup with an air of finality.

_The strong are wiser than the weak, because they think before they speak, _Arthur thought to himself, _sounds like something Merlin would say when he's in one of those moments of his. _

He shook himself out of his thoughts when he heard Blair challenge Gwaine to a duel. Given that the knight was, as mentioned before, on a hangover and lost badly and within about five minutes.

Over the next few weeks, everyone adjusted to there being a woman knight. Meanwhile, Percival was spending an increasing amount of time with Aurora. He would walk her to her rooms, after "bumping" into each other and blushing furiously. Both of them, usually sure in voice, were flustered and stuttering around each other. To anyone observing when they were together, they were helplessly, haplessly, in love. Blair was slightly disgusted and the knights were all vaguely amused, but they all were happy for almost couple.

One day, after training, Blair had gone up ahead because Aurora had wanted to talk to her, and when the rest of the knights caught up the sisters were in a heated argument.

"You came back from that war a different person. You're cold and distant. Sometimes its like I'm talking to you and you're staring at a place above my head. A place only you can see. How many times have you considered suicide?" Tears brimmed in Aurora's eyes.

Blair opened her mouth to say something, but Aurora cut her off.

"I don't even want to know how many. And what is it that's stopped you?"

"You," Blair answered in a whisper.

"And what if I hadn't been here?" Aurora's voice was loud but shaky, "Where would you be if I stayed with Mom? In one of the graves in Arlington Cemetery?

Blair looked both surprised at her sister's courage and sad to know it was true.

"See? You don't deny it!" Aurora's tears started to spill. You came back from that war a different person," she repeated, "you came back broken."

"I am not broken!" Blair finally found the voice to speak and it was the first time anyone in Camelot had hear her voice shake.

"Yes you are, Blair," Aurora whispered, shaking her head furiously as if she, too, were still in denial, "You came back broken into millions of different pieces, and you haven't even tried to piece them all together. You have been cold, distant and unfeeling. _A life lived in sadness is a life left unlived, _as our father always used to say. You must learn to feel again. You must learn to live. You need to try to come back to me."

With that Aurora ran off, crying, and Percival followed. Blair was left standing there, back rigid, wiping the single tear off her face. She composed herself and walked away from them with dignity and not single word.

Merlin found her about an hour later, sitting on the edge of one of the towers, a small lap harp in her hands.

"Aren't you afraid your going to fall?" he asked sitting down beside her.

"No," she responded, not taking her eyes of the beautiful setting sun, "I will only fall if I want to."

"And do you?"

At this she looked at him with a thoughtful expression. "Despite how hard you try to conceal it, Merlin, you can also be very insightful," she looked back at the horizon, "sometimes I do. Sometimes I feel like life has nothing left for me anymore. Life feels dull and uninteresting. Since we came here that has begun to change, but the feeling is still there, in the back of my mind, like a tidal wave tats about to come crashing down and smother me. It's a feeling of continuous boredom, like no matter what I do, no matter how may adventures I got on or how many mysteries I uncover, its never going to be enough; I'm always going to crave more. And it starts to overwhelm me and its like death is the final adventure to satisfy my boredom. And that's when it is that I want to kill myself; to adventure beyond this world into the next, if there is one."

She chuckled quietly to herself and then looked at him, "You probably think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"No," he replied

"I fell in love once, with a girl named Freya. And then she was killed and I mourned for weeks and it sort of felt the same way, except with sadness and not boredom. Life wasn't the same anymore, and sometimes I still want to join her in the next life, along with my father."

"Freya," she whispered, "What a beautiful name."

"She was beautiful, with dark black hair and big doe eyes. I loved her, even though we only knew each other for a few days. And then she was ripped from me in the cruelest way possible."

"Who killed her?"

"Arthur," he replied. "She had a curse upon her that changed her into a Bastet every night and Arthur couldn't see beyond the beast to the girl and cut her down. He was doing what he thought would protect Camelot, so I don't resent him for it, but I wish I could have saved her."

"She was a lucky woman," Blair said, and laid her head on Merlin's shoulder.

"Thanks," Merlin said.

They sat in silence for a few moments and Blair started to strum the harp.

_Wake up to a Sunny Day  
Not a cloud up in the sky  
And then it starts to rain  
My defenses hit the ground  
And they shatter all around  
So open and exposed  
But I found strength in the struggle  
Face to face with my troubles_

When you're broken  
In a Million little pieces  
And your tryin'  
But you can't hold on any more  
Every tear falls down for a reason  
Don't you stop believin' in your self  
When you're broken

Little girl don't be so blue  
I know what you're going through  
Don't let it beat you up  
Hittin' walls and gettin' scars  
Only makes you who you are  
Only makes you who you are  
No matter how much your heart is aching  
There is beauty in the breaking  
Yeah

When you're broken  
In a Million little pieces  
And your tryin'  
But you can't hold on any more  
Every tear falls down for a reason  
Don't you stop believin' in your self  
When you're broken

Better days are gonna find you once again  
Every piece will find it's place  
When you're broken  
When you're broken  


_When you're broken  
In a Million little pieces  
And your tryin'  
But you can't hold on any more  
Every tear falls down for a reason  
Don't you stop believin' in your self  
When you're broken  
Oh When you're broken  
When you're broken  
When you're broken_


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

The next morning, the knights (which included Blair) and Merlin set out for Camelot's eastern borders to kill a beast that had been ravaging the outlying villages on the edge of the kingdom.

The click-clacking of horses feet on the cobblestones was heard as they galloped out of the castle, their red cloaks streaming behind them, armor glinting in the sun.

They rode all day long.

When the sun set, they made camp in a small clearing.

No sooner then they had laid out their bedrolls, did bandits come rushing down from all around them, screaming war cries and hefting swords.

The knights all drew their swords and rushed to meet them, Merlin hiding up a tree.

Bandits fell one by one. At one point, Blair's sword was knocked out of her grasp. The other knights, finishing up the last of their opponents, watched her as she fought with her hands, expertly relieving the bandit of his sword.

She blocked his blow to her face and then punched him in the gut. He kicked at her stomach and she grabbed his foot and twisted, sending him sprawling to the ground. She grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him up. "I'm going to let you go. Run as fast as you can and tell your little friends never to attack the king of Camelot again, understand?"

The man nodded and just as she was about to let go of him, there was a dagger in his hand and he jabbed it back at her. She grabbed the knife before it got her, but she caught it by the blade and blood oozed from the wound.

A look of rage overtook her face as she moved her hand up to his wrist and snapped it.

The man cried out in pain.

"I showed you mercy," she snarled, "but no, you're too prideful for that. Well, now you're going to pay."

And with that, she moved her hands to either side of his face and the knights heard the splintering of bone as she snapped his neck.

He fell to the ground, dead, a red handprint from the blood on her palm, on his cheek.

She turned around and faced the knights and Merlin, who were all looking at her with utter astonishment.

"Don't look at me like that," she snapped, "I gave him a choice. He picked the wrong option."

The knights nodded and turned away and Elyan moved forward to dispose of the body, but Merlin still looked at her with a slight look of disappointment. When Blair noticed this, she blushed and looked away, ashamed.

But she shook it off and helped Merlin set the fire. She was placing a log on the fire when her hand accidentally brushed Merlin's. She grabbed her hand back and was surprised as it tingled strangely.

_What's wrong with you, Blair? _She thought to herself, but again she shook it off.

The knights were sitting around the campfire when Percival asked Blair, "How is it that you are able to fight like that?"

"Fight like what?" Blair asked in return.

"As if you don't care what happens to you," Arthur responded for Percival, thinking the same thing. In fact all the knights were thinking the same thing.

"Ah, that," Blair smiled slightly, "Part of what makes me a great warrior is the fact I go into battle, prepared to die. And that makes me courageous and that is what makes a great warrior. When I die, I will die with honor."

"Your not afraid of death?" Gwaine asked.

"No," she responded, "I am not afraid of death."

"Why not?" this time the question came from Leon.

"Death is one of those things in life that no man, no matter how great, no matter how powerful, can ever hope to overcome, and must learn to endure. Death comes for everyone. All things must come to an end. Sometimes, I'm not even sure I wouldn't mind letting death come for me early. But whenever it is that death does comes for me, I will welcome him with open arms, for I know it is my time. I have been on death's brink before and he and I are old friends."

The knights absorbed this before Merlin asked, "Everyone is afraid of something, even when they say they are not. What is it that you are afraid of?"

"I am afraid of many things, Merlin," she looked into his eyes, "But most importantly I am afraid, not of death, but leaving those I love behind when I do die."

Merlin nodded, liking this answer and not expecting any more from her, but after a moment she said, "And I fear the thing that most people don't think to be afraid of. I fear, fear itself."

The knights started at this and they all, including Merlin, looked at her strangely, but liked this answer to. One by one, they fell asleep thinking about this.

The next morning, they packed up their things, mounted their horses, and set off once again.

Finally they arrived at one of the villages on the kingdom's eastern border. Or what was left of it anyway.

The houses were burning and woman and children were running and screaming.

The knights and Merlin dismounted and drew their swords, rushing into the village.

Elyan stopped the first villager they saw, which happened to be a little girl, "What is it? Where is it?" But the little girl wouldn't speak to him, and tried to run away.

Slowly, Blair approached her and motioned for Elyan to move away.

"Hey little girl," she said sweetly, in a voice none of them had ever heard her use, "What's your name, sweetie?"

"E-E-Emiline," the little girl stuttered, eyes wide with fear.

"Emiline, what a pretty name!" Blair gushed, "Well, let me tell you something, Emiline, I'm Blair and these are my friends and we've come all the way from Camelot. And we're here to help you. But you know what?"

"What?" little Emiline asked.

"We need your help. All we need you to do is answer a few questions. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes."

"Good," Blair answered patting Emiline's hand, "Where is this creature and what can it do?"

"It can shoot fire and… and destroy houses. Its eyes are red. Its over there," Emiline pointed to the center of the town, "I'm so scared," she whispered clutching Blair.

"Its okay, sweetie, everything will be alright," Blair looked startled by the affection the little girl was showing her, "Look there's your Mama." Blair pointed to a woman running toward them, shouting Emiline's name.

Emiline ran toward her mother and they embraced, and fled the town,.

Blair turned to the knights with a grim expression and they headed to the center of the town.

When they got there, they started at what they saw.

It was a little boy, not seven years old, with glowing red eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 12**

As soon as she saw the little boy with the red eyes, something changed in Blair. She slowly made her way towards the little boy, stepping over the small fires and dead bodies carefully.

Soon, she got close to him.

"Hello, little guy," she said, using the same voice she had before with little Emiline, "What are you doing?"

The little boy just looked at her.

"You have caused a lot of damage," Blair told him.

The little boy slowly raised his hand as if he were going to touch Blair's cheek, but instead, he pointed it to the knights and Merlin behind her. All of a sudden, they were lifted into the air and hung there, suspended.

"You put them down, now!" Blair yelled, but still the boy just looked at her. "I tell you, little boy, I am very upset. I am very, very cross!"

The knights looked to each other, still hanging in midair, with confused expressions on their faces.

"You are in big trouble!" Blair continued to chastise the little boy, "PUT THEM DOWN!"

Finally the little boy did as he was told and dropped them, but then his red eyes grew brighter and he pointed at the houses around them and one by one, they caught flame.

yelling at you, sweetie, I didn't mean it."

She dropped down on one knee next to him and hugged him.

The knights gasped, expecting the worst.

But then the little boy crumpled on the ground, Blair's dagger sticking out of his stomach.

Blair stood over him as his eyes faded from the glowing red that had so unnerved her to a bright baby blue, that faintly reminded her of Merlin's. Merlin's as well as someone else's. She glided her hand over the boy's eyes and closed them. Then, she clasped his little hands over his chest.

She stood and stepped back from the boy and turned to the knights, a sad, grim expression on her face.

The knights controlled their looks of horror, but reminded themselves that it was that little boy that had done all the damage to this village.

With somber expressions on their faces, they trudged out of town, to the gathered villagers just outside the forest.

"You are safe now," Arthur rose his voice and spoke, "The problem has been dealt with."

"Thank you, Mister Knights, thank you," little Emiline ran up to them and hugged them each in turn.

When she got to Blair, Blair knelt next to her and out both of her hands on the little girl's shoulders. "You know Emiline, we couldn't have done it without you."

"When I grow up, I want to be just like you!" Emiline shouted, grinning, her doe eyes excited.

She raised her hands and pretended to punch the air. She kicked out her leg and slipped on the mud. She laughed and looked up at Blair.

Blair laughed and patted her on the head. "You'll get there, little knight."

They helped the villagers resettle and put out all the fires and then they made their way back to their camp.

They had only been asleep for about and hour when an ear-shattering scream woke the knights.

They all sat up straight in their bedrolls and looked around. Their eyes were immediately drawn to Blair, who was sleeping up in a tree, as usual. Or, rather, _had been _sleeping.

Now she was sitting straight up on the branch staring at her hands and screaming.

She fell of the branch, but managed to land on her feet.

All of them rushed towards her, Merlin in front.

She kept screaming and rubbing away at her hands.

"What's wrong, Blair?" Merlin asked.

She her answer was more sobbing.

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "What is wrong?" Merlin asked again.

"My hands," She yanked her head away and kept scrubbing at her hands, "They're dripping. It wont come off!"

"Dripping with what?" Merlin asked

She looked up at him. "Blood. My hands are soaked in blood. And it will never wash off."

The knights stared at her and then looked to her hands. They were clean.

"There's no blood, Blair," Arthur said.

The rest of the knights were in shock seeing her like this.

"I killed a little boy," Blair whispered.

"You had no choice," Merlin tried to assure her, "He was being possessed by dark magic. There was no other way to free his soul. You know that."

"But he was just a little boy! And I killed him!" she shouted, but then her voice quieted again, "He probably had a family somewhere. A mother, a father. Sisters maybe. And I took him away from them."

She looked up at Merlin with tear-filled eyes, "He looked like Cade."

"Who's Cade?" Gwaine asked.

"My little brother. I was ten when he died. He was only four. I could have saved him. I could have stopped him from trying to save the cat and jumping in front of the car, but I wasn't paying attention. I was supposed to be watching him. I killed that little boy, today, just like I killed Cade!"

The knights were silent, surprised at this, but Merlin kept trying to calm her down. "It wasn't your fault about Cade, and you had no choice with the little boy today. Just think of Emeline. What would have happened to her if you hadn't what had to be done?"

Blair smiled a small, watery smile and looked up at him. "I suppose yout right. Thank you, Merlin."

Merlin smiled back at her. "Glad I could help."

The knights slowly crept backward around the tree, and back towards their bedrolls, but still watching Blair and Merlin together.

He sat down next to her, their backs up against the trunk, oblivious to Arthur and the rest watching them intently, from the back.

Merlin put one arm around her shoulders and held her hands with his.

She looked at their entwined fingers and smiled.

"I would have tried to killed myself."

"What?" Merlin asked, not following.

"That's usually what happens after an episode like that. And usually its Aurora that helps me calm down. But, this time, she wouldn't have been able to stop me from grabbing a knife and slitting my own throat. But you were able to do it."

"It must be my charm that kept you sane," Merlin tried to make a joke.

Blair chuckled.

"My point, Merlin, is that-"

Merlin cut her off with his lips.

He let go of her hands and cupped her face with his. The arm around her shoulder pulled her close.

She kissed back.

The knights, who were still watching, grinned and nudged each other. Then they stopped watching and lid down on their bedrolls.

When they finally pulled apart, Blair rested her head on Merlin's chest.

Just before she fell into sleep, she whispered, so softly that Merlin wasn't sure if it was her or just the wind, "You have melted my heart of ice."


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 13**

The next morning, Blair was extremely tired, so she sat behind Merlin on his horse and one of the other knights led her horse along with them.

She wrapped her arms around Merlin's waist and rested her head on his shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

"She's so much more fragile than she let's on," Gwaine commented, "She gives off this aura of being so confident but she's really not."

The rest of the knights agreed.

"On the contrary," Merlin piped up, "I think she is quite strong. Even stronger than she lets on, maybe. We don't know all the things she has had to go through, for surely Aurora didn't tell us all of it. I think that she is able to go on in spite that is more than any of us can imagine."

They considered what Merlin was saying were silently thoughtful for a moment.

"You seem smitten with her, Merlin," Arthur teased.

"Yes," he responded thoughtfully, "I seem to fall for women like her. But I think that this one will last."

"This one?" Arthur asked incredulously.

"You mean there have been others?" Percival asked, also in shock.

"Merlin the lover boy," was Gwaine's reply.

The rest of the knights smiled.

"What was her name?" Leon asked.

"Freya."

"What happened to her?" Elyan asked.

"Did she leave you?" Arthur joked.

"No," Merlin responded. None of the knights paid any attention to the look on his face.

"She should have," Arthur said, meanly, "I don't get what she could have ever seen in you."

"What Freya saw in Merlin is what I see in him," they heard Blair say, lifting her cheek from Merlin's shoulder, "A kind, gentle man who does not judge what he does not know, which cannot be said for the rest of you here."

This shut the knights up.

"So what did happen to Freya?" Percival asked.

"She died."

"I'm sorry to hear that," all of the knights murmured.

"I'm sure Freya was a nice girl and all, but I'm not." Blair said, "Sorry I mean."

Merlin smiled back at her.

Sensing that this subject was okay to discuss, Gwaine asked, "How did she die?"

"She was killed. I don't think the man that killed her meant it. He thought she was a threat and so he killed her to protect his family. He didn't realize that she meant no harm. That she had no choice."

"How come you never told me?" Arthur asked.

"You wouldn't understand."

"How do you know that?" Arthur responded, indignantly.

"Because you wouldn't have. That's that. Plain and simple." Merlin responded.

"Let's close this topic of conversation before it gets to feisty, eh?" Blair said.

"Good with me!" Merlin said.

The knights dropped it and they rode the rest for the rest of the day in silence.

On their third day of riding, they finally arrived back at Camelot.

Blair made her way to her chambers and found Aurora sewing away at another one of Gwen's dresses.

Blair plopped down in the chair next to her sister.

"You're back," Aurora said, "How'd it go?"

"Pretty bad," was Blair's response.

Aurora looked up from her work, startled. Blair never actually admitted anything. It was always, "okay" or "not bad," never anything truthful.

"What?" Aurora asked, her voice sounding as stunned as she felt.

"It was a little boy. That was what was destroying all the villages. A little boy, possessed by dark magic. I had no choice. I had to kill him," Blair's voice shook.

Aurora wrapped her arms around her sister and held her as Blair's shoulders wracked in silent sobs.

"You did what you had to do," Aurora reassured her. "You had no choice. You freed him from a life of being a slave to dark powers; a life of killing and blood. You did him a favor."

"But he looked like Cade, Aurora. It was like I was killing Cade all over again."

"You didn't kill Cade," Aurora's voice starting to shake as well, "That was an accident. What happened to him wasn't your fault and you need to stop blaming yourself."

They sat like that for a while, comforting each other. Then they sat up and both wiped their eyes.

"Did you go into one of your episodes?" Aurora asked Blair.

"Yes."

"Who calmed you down?"

"Merlin."

"I see," Aurora nodded, absorbing this information and then asked, playfully, "You like him don't you?"

"Yes," Blair smiled, "He's helped me feel again, Aura. **{AN: I don't remember if I've used it before, but Aura is Aurora's nickname}. **Everything that I couldn't, wouldn't feel before, is all coming back now, because of him."

Aurora smiled.

"Aura, I think-" Blair paused, "I think I'm in love with him."


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 14**

Percival had decided to do this in a public setting. There was less of a chance of Blair ripping off his head in public.

He made his way to her, where she was sparring with Arthur; the knights, Aurora, and Merlin chatting with them as the two dueled.

"So, Blair, what's your favorite thing about Camelot?" Gwaine asked Blair.

"I don't know," she responded, with a vicious side swipe at Arthur that he barely managed to block, "It's either the swords and the fighting, or Merlin."

Merlin blushed and Blair grinned, and Arthur started cooing, "Merlin and Blair! Now there's an interesting couple. Instead of the woman being protecting the man, Blair is going to be protecting Merlin!"

The knights laughed and Blair, playfully, tripped Arthur and put her sword at his back.

"I win," she stated.

Percival cleared his throat as none of them, except maybe Aurora, noticed him standing there.

"Why hello there Percival!" Gwaine said.

"I have come to ask Blair a question," he responding, sounding slightly timid.

"Well, ask away," Blair was in a light happy mood, and smiled slightly as she said this.

"I came to-" Percival stopped and cleared his throat again before restarting, "I have come to ask you for permission to court your sister."

Blair stopped smiling and there was silence from all the men. Aurora looked worried.

Percival stood stock still as Blair, sharp sword still in hand, circled him.

Finally, she came to stand in front of him again.

"I have felt the burn of rejected love before and I don't want her to have to go through that. If you break her heart, I will break your face. Understand?" Blair told him.

Percival nodded.

"The my answer is," Blair took a deep breath and said dramatically, "Yes. You have my permission to court my sister."

Percival and Aurora both broke into a grin and ran toward each other, embracing. The kissed passionately and Blair groaned.

"I gave you permission to court her, not to snog her right up in my face." Blair said, disgustedly.

Percival and Aurora broke apart, grinning and blushing, and left, his hand around her waist.

Blair sighed, looked at their backs as they left, and looked her eyes became cloudy for a moment, but then they cleared and she went back to training.

"This is beautiful," Aurora gasped, dismounting the horse.

Percival had decided to take her on their first real date. He had blindfolded her as she sat on the horse in front of him, riding out of Camelot.

She looked around her. They were a little clearing in the forest just outside of Camelot. There was a white sheet on the grass and candles and roses arranged all around, a basket of food in the middle of the sheet.

The moon was full and the starts glistered brightly in the sky.

The sat down on the sheet and ate.

When they were done, they were lying on the grass next to each other staring up at the stars when Aurora said, "Aurora?"

"Yeah?" she responded.

He propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at her, "I love you."

And he bent down and kissed her, slowly, but thoroughly.

When they broke apart she whispered, "I love you, too."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 15**

Arthur stood on the battlements looked down on the scene below him.

"You have been tried by the court and your peers and have been found guilty of treason. You have been sentenced to death."

Arthur raised his hand then brought it down in a chopping motion.

The executioner mimicked his movements, the axe chopping of the traitor's head.

The man died swiftly and without pain.

From where she was watching from a window that overlooked the courtyard, Aurora recoiled in horror.

The crowd dispersed, the spectacle over.

That night, Aurora tossed and turned for what seemed like ages.

Two hours later, after she finally did fall asleep, she woke, sitting straight up in bed, screaming.

Blair was on her bedside in an instant, wrapping her arms around her sister, whispering comforting words.

"What's wrong, Aura? What is it?" Blair whispered, "Bad dream?"

"The man. Being executed," Aurora, who was unable to speak in complete sentences, "I saw it. It was so horrible!" she wailed, distressed.

"Shhh," Blair comforted, "It will be okay."

Suddenly Percival and Gwaine were in the doorway, Merlin close behind, being drawn to the room by the screaming and wailing.

Blair glared at them and they stayed silent, standing in the doorway.

"Can you sing to me, Blair?" Aurora asked, her face on Blair's shoulder, like they were little kids again, Aurora running to her older sister for comfort.

"Sure thing, Aurora," Blair smiled slightly, and then made motions at the knights in the doorway, telling them to leave.

They slowly and softly closed the door and backed away.

As they were going to their own rooms, they heard Blair's beautiful singing following them.

_I remember tears streamin' down your face__  
__When I said I'd never let you go, __  
__When all those shadows almost killed your light__  
__I remember you sayin 'don't leave leave me behind'__  
__But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight___

_Just close your eyes__  
__The sun is going down__  
__You'll be alright__  
__No one can hurt you now__  
__Come morning light__  
__You and I'll be safe and sound___

_Don't you dare look out your window__  
__Darlin' everything's on fire__  
__The war outside our door keeps raging on__  
__Hold onto this lullaby__  
__Even when the music's gone__  
__Goooooooonnnnneeee... ___

_Just close your eyes__  
__The sun is going down__  
__You'll be alright__  
__No one can hurt you now__  
__Come morning light__  
__You and I'll be safe and sound___

_Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, __  
__Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh___

_Just close your eyes__  
__You'll be alright__  
__Come morning light, __  
__You and I'll be safe and sound___

_Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, __  
__Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, __  
__Ooh, ooh, ooh__  
__Oohhh._

The melody was in their minds as they got back into their beds.

"It's all going to be okay," Blair said to Aurora when the song was over, "You're safe. No one's going to hurt you. Not while I'm here. Or Percival."

Blair continued to whisper soothing words until her sister fell back asleep.

The next morning, Arthur held a meeting with his knights.

"There has been no news for weeks from out patrols to the east," Arthur began, looking around at all of his knight, "Blair, Percival, Leon, Elyan, Gwaine, Merlin, and I, will ride out tomorrow morning in search."

There were nods of assent among the knights.

"There have also been reports from that area about a beast guarding the forest road, not letting anyone by. It is my belief that it is this beast that has prevented our patrols form coming back."

"What is the nature of this beast?" Elyan asked.

"It is said to have to have the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the face of a woman."

"Sounds like a sphinx to me," Blair said.

"A what?" This was, of course, from Gwaine.

"A mythical beast with those physical descriptions that loves to speak with riddles and guards its hoards fearlessly."

"Sounds like our beast," Arthur responded.

The council was over and the knights started to file out the door.

"Sire?" Blair asked, from where she was still standing beside the map on the table.

"Yes, Blair?" Arthur turned back around.

"You know I would not ask this unless I had a _very _good reason," she started.

"Continue."

"May Aurora come along?"

"Aurora?" Arthur asked incredulously.

"Yes," Blair responded, "She is very good with riddles. And she needs something like this. Some form of adventure to get her hardened to the outside world."

"She's good with riddles you say?"

"Yes."

"Very well," Arthur sighed, "Tell her to pack her things, but not too much! I will tell Gwen that Aurora wont be in for work for a couple of days."

"Thank you, Arthur," Blair responded and then left.

"Leaving on another patrol?" Aurora asked, sitting on her bed, when Blair came in and started to pack.

"Yep," Blair responded.

"What type of monster is it this time?"

"One with the body of a lion, the wings of and eagle, and the face of a woman."

"Sounds like a sphinx," Aurora said.

"That's what I thought. And that, my dear sister, is why your coming with us."

"Me?" Aurora couldn't believe her ears.

"Your good with riddles," Blair responded, "So if it is a sphinx, it will be good to have you there. So start packing."

Aurora squealed with delight and started packing her things.

"Not too much!" Blair cautioned.

Aurora just smiled, already thinking of good riddles.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while guys, I've been overseas. But i have the next chapter ready so I'll post that tmrw and then be back to my normal schedule. Hope you all had very Merlin Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! Even though Merlin's over, which makes it not very happy at all, but whatever. Anyways, just a note on the end of Merlin. I won't give way any spoilers, to those who haven't seen it, but it was amazing. I can't believe it's over though. But Merlin will live on in our hearts! And our fanfictions! And hopefully that movie the directors are thinking about will come true! Anyways, keep on loving Merlin, even though it's over, and keep reading!**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

"We've got about another's day's ride to the pass where the sphinx is said to be and where we suspect the patrol to be," Arthur said on the third night of their journey, as they were all sitting around the campfire.

The knights nodded and started discussing tactical and military things. Aurora had no place in this bit of the journey.

She stood up and stepped towards Merlin, who was making their dinner and also had no interest in military tactics.

"I've heard you make a pretty mean stew," Aurora said jokingly, "I'm looking forward to it." All they had had the past two nights is cold bread and cheese.

Merlin smiled at her as she sat down next to him.

"So you fancy my sister," she said, quite plainly.

Merlin started and nearly dropped the ladle into the pot of stew. When he recovered he said, "Er, yes, I do. I promise my intentions toward her are not... you know."

Aurora grinned at how flustered Merlin had become.

"Chill," she said, "This isn't the Spanish Inquisition, I'm not gonna execute you or anything."

When the poor boy looked at her with a blank expression on his face she said, "Oh, right, you wouldn't understand that reference. Wait a thousand years and you will."

Merlin chuckled hesitantly.

"Anyways," Aurora continued, "The reason I'm bringing this up is not to make you uncomfortable, but to tell you that you two are cute together."

Merlin visibly relaxed, chuckled, and said, "Thanks."

"I'm not going to threaten you like Blair likes to do. All that _if you leave her_ stuff. But its implied," Aurora smiled and Merlin smiled with her as she continued, "But I don't think you will. You're not the kind of person to do that. You love her and she loves you. And that's good. She deserves you after the things she's gone through." Aurora was started to ramble on a bit, kind of to herself. "And you've been through a lot, too, I take it. Loosing Freya and all."

Merlin started.

"How do you know about that?" he asked.

"Blair told me. Since she started falling in love with you, she's been opening up more. Becoming the person she used to be. She's started telling me things again. She's told me all about how she feels for you and everything about you. Including your old girl. Speaking of her, if you ever say anything to Blair along the lines of, Freya would do blah blah blah, I will give you a black eye."

Merlin raised an eyebrow.

Aurora blushed, "So I guess I am here to threaten you, just a little bit. But in any event, Blair is not to be compared to anybody no matter how great that person was. When your with her you shouldn't be thinking of Freya unless Blair asks you to talk about her. Exes are off limits."

"I understand," Merlin said, "I love your sister and I would never do anything to hurt her. And no matter how much I loved Freya, she will never compare to Blair. My love for her is stronger than anything I've ever felt towards anyone. Freya was beautiful, but she cannot compete with Blair in this category either. Blair is like my..." Merlin faltered, trying to find the words that could describe Blair. "She's like my sun. Sometimes it seems as if she's too bright and beautiful to look at. If she disappeared everything inside me would die."

Aurora contemplated this metaphor, and then asked, with a raised eyebrow, "But if you go too close to her, she would burn you to dust?"

Merlin didn't even look offended, "Sometimes it seems so, yes. She's got an attitude, for sure, but so does everyone. I love her, and as much as she might try, Blair will never be able to drive me away, no matter how many times she tells me I'll be safer with someone else."

Aurora chuckled, "So she's tried that already then?"

"Yes," Merlin responded and smiled, "Needless to say, it didn't work. I don't care if might I die because of her, because that means I will die loving her."

Aurora had to force down tears. The love Merlin so clearly showed to her sister was beautiful and she would enjoy watching them continue to fall for each other. She knew for a fact that Blair felt the same way for Merlin, and Aurora thought they were like two magnets pulling towards each other.

"Aurora?" Merlin pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Please don't tell Blair about what I've said. I want to tell her myself when the time is right."

Aurora nodded in understanding.

There was a silence between them.

Later that night, as they were all yawning and thinking about sleep, Aurora stood and got everyone's bedrolls and laid them out in a circle, so they would all have their heard facing the center.

The knights all chuckled at this slightly childish act, but went through with it.

Aurora lay down.

Percival took his spot on her side and Blair took hers on the other side, Merlin next to her. The rest of the knights joined the circle, too.

"So what things do you miss most about home, Aura?" Blair asked her sister.

"Taylor Swift, my books, and..." Aurora thought for a moment and her lips quirked up, "And I would say Chris Hemsworth, but, I kinda his competition right next to me."

Blair burst out laughing and Aurora followed suit.

When they finished cracking up, they looked around and the knights looked confused and Percival even looked a little mad.

"Who is this Chris Hemsworth that you speak of and should I be worried?" he asked.

"He's an actor," Blair answered.

"A very hot one, at that," Aurora piped in and giggled at Percival's expression.

"Yes, he is very handsome, and Australian, too" Blair continued, "And no you should not be worried."

"Yea," Aurora piped in again, "Chris Hemsowrth doesn't have as big biceps as you do, Percy." She giggled.

Percival relaxed slightly, when he saw she was only joking about missing this _Chris Hemsworth_.

"That's good to know," he laughed.

"What about you, Blair?" Arthur asked, interrupting, "What do you miss?"

"Showers," Blair said immediately, "I miss having nice, long, hot showers after my workouts."

Blair and Aurora chuckled again as the knights continued to look at them blankly.

They were silent.

Most of the knights had fallen asleep, when Aurora said, "They're beautiful, aren't they? The stars? You can see them so well here. They're so bright. The moon, too."

"They are beautiful," Blair whispered back.

"Not as beautiful as you," Percival and Merlin both said at the same time. Merlin to Blair and Percival to Aurora, of course.

Both pairs held hands and fell asleep.

Leon, who was on watch, smiled as, in their sleep, Aurora turned towards Percival, and Blair turned towards Merlin.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN **

The next morning, they were up early and riding fast towards the mountain pass where their reports had told them the sphinx was most likely to be.

They were about a mile away a little after midday. But although they were so close, it was already getting dark and Arthur decided that they would wait until the next morning to go searching for the beast and their fellow knights.

The knights and Aurora were all restless. Blair paced back and forth as did Arthur; Aurora was tapping her feet; and Percival was cracking his knuckles. As for Gwaine, well, he was eating cheese and apples, looking very content with himself.

Mid-stride, Blair stopped her pacing and went to sit next to Merlin, who was reheating last night's stew over the fire.

She sat down on the log next to him.

"How are you holding up?" Merlin asked her.

"Pretty good. How bout you?" she replied nudging him with her hip.

He smiled slightly and said, "Good, however I am slightly bored.

Though no one else took any notice of their conversation, Blair lowered her voice anyways when she said, "You're thinking of spells to defeat the sphinx aren't you?"

Merlin smiled at her when he said, slyly, "You know me so well."

"I love you," she replied, "It's my job to know you inside out."

Merlin internally glowed when she outright said she loved him. Then he realized, blushing that she might have heard some of his conversation with Aurora the night before. He said nothing of it.

He pecked her quickly on the lips before going back to their discussion. "I take it you have something to say about this?"

"Yes," she said, "Don't use them. Under any normal circumstances, I wouldn't let Aura any where near a sphinx let alone have a riddle contest with it, but I want to give her this. She is looking forward to it. So keep the spells ready, but give her a chance at it first, please."

"Of course," Merlin responded, "the spells were only a last resort."

Blair smiled and they moved on to talking about other things.

The next morning, they immediately mounted their horses and rode the mile to the mountain pass.

The first thing they saw was, of course, the sphinx. She was massive. It was as the reports said. She had the body of a lion, with a long swishing tail; they wings of an eagle, which were massive and folded behind her; and the face of a woman. And it was a beautiful face indeed, with round red lips, high cheekbones, long flowing brown hair, and the brightest violet eyes.

Behind her they saw a great pile of gold, and in fact the sphinx sat on a small pile of gold as well. And behind the sphinx, buried in gold and jewels, were the missing knights, only their heads peeking through the hoard. They looked very relieved when they saw Arthur and the knights.

The sphinx turned her great head toward them and said, in a sing song voice so that some of the knights (more specifically those who were not in love) leaned towards her, the pull of her voice like that of a siren, "And who might you be?"

Arthur, however, since he had Gwen, was not affected by the sphinx's magic.

"I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot. You have many of my fine knights hostage and you have been terrorizing my people, not letting them pass and stealing their gold. I ask you to leave this kingdom and never return."

She merely laughed at the king.

"You think your silver tongued words can get me to leave, great king?"

"If you do not leave, we challenge you!"

"Challenge me? To what?" The sphinx laughed again.

"Since you are the challenged, you get to decide," Arthur stated.

"Then I challenge you to a battle of riddles," she responded, as they all expected, "If I win, I shall stay here upon my perch of gold. And if you win, then I will leave and never return. But choose your champion wisely, Arthur Pendragon."

"This is your show now, Aura," Blair whispered and pushed her sister forward.

Aurora's first steps towards the great beast were hesitant but she grew stronger as she grew closer.

"I am Aurora, and I will be King Arthur's champion." her voice was clear.

The sphinx looked appraisingly down at the (to her) small woman.

"Very well. Who is first?"

"You have the first turn."

The sphinx smirked and started: "What walks on two legs in the morning-"

"A person," Aurora interrupted.

The sphinx started.

"Is that the best you could do? This is your first impression," Aurora said, "You need to start with something good. That is the oldest riddle in the book. Only a simpleton wouldn't understand it."

"I didn't get it," Gwaine piped in from behind Aurora.

Aurora turned around to look at him before stating, quite simply, "Well there you go, then."

As the rest of the knights chuckled, she turned back to the sphinx.

"My turn:

_Tall I am young_

_Short I am old_

_With life do I glow_

_Breath is my foe"_

"A candle," the sphinx answered tiredly, "You need to start with something more impressive."

Aurora glared.

_"What murmurs but never talks_

_What runs but never walks_

_Has a bed, never sleeps_

_Has a mouth, but never eats"_

This was the sphinx's next riddle.

"A river, of course," Aurora answered immediately.

_"What has roots as nobody sees_

_Is taller than trees,_

_Up, up, it goes_

_Yet never grows."_

"A mountain," the beast replied.

The knights sat down on the grass at this point, for they knew it would take a while.

It was the sphinx's turn:

_"At night they come without being fetched._

_By day they are lost without being stolen"_

"Stars," came Aurora's reply. _Let's completely rip off The Hobbit now, shall we?_ she thought to herself before she said her next riddle:

_"Voiceless it cries_

_Wingless, flutters_

_Toothless, bites_

_Mouthless, mutters."_

The sphinx thought for a moment and Aurora internally did a victory dance and being the first person to make the other think.

Her victory was cut short when the sphinx said, "Wind. My turn:

"_Only one color, but not one size,_

_stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies;_

_present in sun, but not in rain,_

_doing no harm, and feeling no pain"_

It was Aurora's turn to think. Then she looked to the beast's side and saw "A shadow. The answer is a shadow."

The sphinx growled.

Aurora cried, cheerily, "My turn:

_Thirty white horses on a red hill_

_First the champ, then they stamp_

_Then they stand still."_

The sphinx licked her lips for a minute before responding, "Teeth."

Aurora thought back on what she remembered of The Hobbit and thought of how Gollum told Bilbo how he only had nine teeth. She chuckled to herself.

Blair chuckled, too, behind her, knowing what her sister was thinking.

"Aren't you expecting Gollum to pop out of the forest, Blair?" Aurora said over her shoulder.

Blair laughed and said, "Yes. But you are having all together too much fun, dear sister."

Aurora smiled and turned back to the impatient sphinx.

_"You have heard me before,_

_yet you here me again._

_The I die_

_Till you call me again."_

"An echo," Aurora sounded bored as she answered the beast's riddle.

The sphinx was getting worried. Never had she met someone who could best her in a game of riddles.

"_It cannot be seen, cannot be felt_

_Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt._

_It lies behind stars and under hills,_

_And empty holes it fills._

_It comes first and follows after,_

_ends life, kills laughter."_

Again, the poor sphinx had to think.

"I'm waiting," Aurora called in a sing song voice.

"Give me a chance!" the sphinx roared.

So Aurora waited, tapping her foot.

"Darkness," it said suddenly a few moments later.

Aurora cursed to herself.

_"If you break me_

_I do not stop working_

_If you touch me_

_I may be snared_

_If you lose me nothing will matter."_

Aurora sat down on the ground stumped. The sphinx started to look triumphant and Aurora thought of Percival. _I'm sorry, Percy_, she thought to herself, _I'm sorry I couldn't get it. _

And then the answer, of course, popped into her head. "A heart!" she cried.

The sphinx growled, louder than before.

_"This thing all things devours:_

_Birds, beasts, trees, and flowers;_

_Gnaws iron, bites steel;_

_Grinds hard stones to metal_

_Slays kings, ruins towns;_

_and beats high mountains down."_

And, try as it might, the sphinx could not figure the riddle out.

"I win!" Aurora cried, and did her victory dance, not just in her head. Blair, Percival, Merlin, and Arthur, as well as the other knights (Gwiane, Leon, and Elyan, and other assorted un-named knights) came and circled around Aurora, clapping her on the back, giving her hugs, and, in Percival's case, giving her a hard kiss on the lips.

Then they heard a loud screech and they turned to the sphinx as she got up off her gold hoard and flew away.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN **

"So what was the answer to the riddle anyway?" Elyan asked Aurora as they sat around the campfire that night.

"Time," Aurora answered.

"Where did you come up with all of those? Almost none of us could guess them," this came from Leon.

"They're from my favorite book, _The Hobbit_," she answered.

For the rest of the night, the knights they had recovered were telling their tales.

Then they decided to retire early, for they were tired.

"Recover your strength, for tomorrow we ride hard and fast to Camelot," Arthur said and bid them goodnight. They fell asleep against tree trunks.

"You should go to sleep soon, too, Aura," Blair said, "You've had a stressful day."

"Not yet," Aurora said, "I'm enjoying sitting by the fire."

Percival, Arthur, Gwaine, Leon, Elyan, and, of course, Merlin were still sitting with them.

As they were all staring into the fire, the knights (and Merlin) observed something amazing.

Without even looking at each other across the flames, both sisters started humming low in their throats.

And as Aurora continued to hum, Blair sang softly.

_Far over misty mountains cold._

_To dungeons deep and caverns old._

_We must away, ere break of day_

_To claim our long-forgotten gold._

_The Pines were roaring on the height._

_The winds were moaning, in the night_

_The fire was read, it flaming spread._

_The trees like torches, blazed with light_

Then without a word, they all readied for sleep.

The next morning, they all woke to war cries. The knights were up instantly, swords in hand. Bandits were streaming down from the hills.

Merlin found Aurora and they found a tree to hide behind, Merlin casting spells (since Aurora and Blair had always known about his magic).

And then, when he had to confront a bandit, he wasn't looking behind, wasn't watching Aurora.

And when he turned around again, she was gone.

"Blair!" he yelled as he ran after the bandit that was carrying her over the rise.

Blair looked up at Merlin. When she saw what he was calling her for, she pulled out her sword of the body it was in, and started to run, as fast as she could.

She soon pulled level with Merlin, and was running along beside him, ever so slightly gaining on the bandit with Aurora.

But then, as Aurora and her captor disappeared into the trees, suddenly there was a line of bandits blocking their path.

Merlin threw spell after spell and Blair swung her sword, but by the time the bandits in front of them were dead, they knew the one with Aurora had disappeared.

They made their way back to Arthur and the knights who were making sure the bandits were dead.

"They have Aurora," Blair said.

"What?" Percival said, incredulously, "No! We have to get her back. I'm going right now."

"Percival, calm yourself," Arthur sighed in annoyance, "We are going to get Aurora back don't worry. Just calm down and we'll make a plan."

"No!" Percival roared, "What if they do something to her before we get there? I am going to get her right now. Blair, are you coming?"

Eyes turned to Blair. She seemed strange, as if she were conflicted but trying not to show it. Merlin could see her face becoming hard and closed off, as it was when they first met her.

"Aurora is my sister, and you know I'd protect her with my life,  
Blair started, "But Arthur is right, Percival. There's more chance of getting her back if we think and plan it out first."

"Fine," Percival sighed, as he knew he was outnumbered.

An hour and a half later, Arthur and the knights were surrounding the bandit camp.

He raised his sword and the knights behind him did the same.

"Charge!" he shouted.

They charged down and swung their swords at the bandits that came to meet them.

They were in he middle of intense battle when the lead bandit shouted, "Oi! Knights!"

They looked over to him. He was standing with Aurora, his knife pressing against her throat.

They all froze.

"Hold up your hands and drop your swords," he called out.

When Gwaine hesitated, the bandit pressed the knife harder against Aurora's skin. They saw a small trickle of blood. "Do as I say, or your pretty girl gets it," he growled.

They all dropped their swords, (including Merlin) and held up their arms.

"Check for concealed weapons," the leader barked at his men.

Bandits came over and patted them down. They removed daggers and knives from belts and boots. Then they came to Blair. The man patting Blair down first removed two small knives from where they were strapped to Blair's shoulders, then one from the inside of her forearm. And then three from her belt, two from one boot, one from the other, and one strapped against her thigh. And finally two very small blades from where they were stuck to the underside of her shoe.

The lead bandit handed Aurora to another man who tied her to a tree.

"My name is Hodge, and I am leader here. You will call me Master, do I make myself clear?" He growled into Arthur's face.

Arthur glared down at him. "You do."

"Very good," Hodge replied, "Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, captured by a bandit. Ha!" he spat at Arthur's boots.

They were all brought to separate trees and tied there. Merlin, Arthur, Percival, Gwaine and almost all the knights were gagged because they made too much noise and racket.

All except Blair, who stayed quiet and observing.

Until she cleared her throat, and called out, "Master!"

Silence stilled the bandit camp and the Hodge came over.

"What is it my pretty?" He asked her.

The very sound of his voice made Blair recoil in disgust inside her mind, but she knew she must go through with her plan for this too work.

"I wanted to speak with you." The knights noticed Blair's voice become low. Sultry. They wondered what game she was playing at.

"You have my attention," the master responded.

"Release me from my bonds. Please, Master," she pouted, seductively.

"Why should I do that?"

"Because you've helped me realize."

"Realize what?"

She was taunting him, drawing him in, making him curious.

"That I'm fighting for the wrong side. These men, they are worthless. They are nothing. Nothing, compared to you."

Hodge nodded in agreement.

"I want to join you."

She saw the knights faces out of the corner of her eye. They believed her front. Even Aurora believed it. Good. That would help. But she couldn't help feel a pang of hurt that even her own sister would think her such a traitor.

She concentrated to the task at hand.

"Think of all things I could do. For you. I can fight. I can spy. I can work for you," she persuaded and then added, suggestively, "As well as other… tasks."

Hodge smiled.

And then he turned away from her. Blair was incredulous for a second before he said, "Men, go on patrol."

The bandits trickled out of the camp and then it was just them: Merlin, the knights, Aurora, Blair and Hodge.

Hodge leaned down and pulled out a knife to cut Blair's bonds.

Blair stood up and stretched, knowing that Hodge was watching her body.

"Now, my sweet, what is your name?" he asked, a dirty finger under her chin.

"Blair, Master."

"Very well then, my Blair," he smiled, evilly, "Come this way."

He led her over to where the knights were tied up.

"Which one of these is your man?" he asked and then pointed at Merlin, "That one, hmm?"

Blair nodded.

"Kiss him for me, my darling Blair," he commanded, "And make it slow and sweet. Painful.

Blair knelt down next to Merlin and slowly took off the gag.

Blair looked into her eyes. He thought she was a traitor. A good-for-nothing, fickle, slut.

She did not let her emotions show in her eyes. He could not see that she did not mean a word of what she said, or anything that she did, because otherwise his reactions would not be genuine enough. But as she leaned in to him, in her mind, she begged him to forgive her.

Her lips touched his and she did as Hodge commanded. Kissed him slowly and sweetly. And made it seem like she was trying to make him suffer.

She pulled away. Merlin looked heartbroken.

"Now slap him," Hodge said.

Blair did not let Merlin see the tears that she was crying on the inside. How much it broke _her _to do this.

But she did it anyway.

Her palm connected with Merlin's cheek with a sickening slap, and Merlin's head snapped to the side, she grinned.

She was grinning as Hodge chuckled as he offered her his hand and helped her up.

"I think that we should let them watch," he started, "As we…. _finalize _this deal."

Hodge shoved the gaga back in Merlin's mouth and then walked with Blair a little farther away.

He leaned in and placed a hard kiss on her lips.

"You taste so good, sweet heart," he said, "Like mint."

Internally, Blair was retching because he certainly did _not _taste like mint. He needed some mint and fast. He tasted of something dead and rotting.

But Blair couldn't show this. So she kissed back with equal fervor, though it killed her to do so.

Hodge started removing her clothing. He ripped off her armor and mail quickly, though thankfully they didn't get damaged.

Then came her tunic until she was left in just her leather pants and her corset. The kind of corset designed to keep her chest flat. And Hodge found it very, _very _attractive.

He leaned over to her. She held up a finger and said, "No, Master, not yet." She started walking around him, in circles, "Stay where you are."

She swayed her hips suggestively as she sauntered around him.

Hodge's hand twitched at his side, but he did as she told him and stayed where he was.

Blair trailed a finger along the front and then the back of his shoulders and said, "You wanna know one of the best things about these types of coresets, Master?"

"What?" Hodge's hand twitched again.

"They can carry stuff without being noticed and without it being heavy. You can put it right here," she pointed down her cleavage.

He reached forward with his hand but she pushed away, smiling, and saying, "No, not yet."

She stood behind him and wrapped an arm around his chest, nuzzling his neck.

"A woman can put very useful things down in between her breasts, you know," she breathed, "things that someone wouldn't expect."

Hodge grinned.

The filthy man didn't see it coming. Blair might have even felt bad for him, if she wasn't already disgusted by him. But since she was, she felt alacrity in her heart, as she slipped a hand down her cleavage and pulled a long black object out.

Hodge was still grinning, even as he heard metal on metal.

But his grin vanished when he felt steel against his throat.

"I have never, and will never know why men are always leaders. Women are obviously the smarter gender."

She heard Aurora chuckle with relief, but she was focused on the furious man in front of her.

"Do I kill you?" she said, "That's the question, however, that is most relevant right now."

Hodge started to squirm. Her arm tightened around his chest. "Shh. Don't move, Master."

She pressed the dagger harder against his throat and trickles of blood dripped down.

"I think I will leave you alive," she commented, "Just so you can live the rest of your life in misery and humiliation that you were beaten by a woman."

Hodge sighed with relief when she said she would keep him alive.

"Oh, don't be so hopeful, dear Master," Blair cooed with fake pity, "I'm not leaving completely unscarred."

Her knife started to move against the skin of his throat.

The watching knights, Merlin, and Aurora flinched and looked away as Hodge screamed in agony.

When she was done, there was a jagged _**B **_carved into his throat, dripping blood. Nothing serious, nothing that wouldn't heal. But it would heal with a scar, as Blair made sure.

"This is to remind you, every single day of you life," she growled into his ear, "That no man can be a woman's master. No one but herself ever has any control of her heart, body, and soul. This is a reminder never to look at a woman again, without feeling shame at what you've done."

She pushed him away from her. He stumbled and then fell face-first when Blair hit him on the back of the head with the hilt of her knife.

She looked down at him with disgust, and nudged him over with her boot.

She spat down on him.

Then she turned away and wiped her dagger on the grass, sheathed it, and put it on her belt.

She went to the pile of her weapons, picked out her own and put them in the appropriate places. Then she put on her shirt and then her chainmail and armor. Only after this did she turn to her companions.

"You all though I'd betrayed you," she sated simply.

But she cut all their ropes and ungagged them anyway.

That nights as they were sleeping in their camp, Blair lay awake, replaying what she had done over and over in her mind. She was disgusted with herself.

But then she heard Aurora tossing and turning a few feet away and she knew she had done what had to be done.

"Blair," Aurora whispered.

"Sure," Blair answered, already knowing what Aurora was going to ask.

Blair rolled over and took her sister in her arms and started to sing.

_Sometimes I dream I'm there and back again__  
__Inside I long to whisper to the wind__  
__Won't you take me on to paradise,__  
__I think it might be nice to go__  
__Under the trees on Bagshot Row__  
__Sensations change, even after all__  
__He left his home one day in the fall__  
__To the depths below in Moria__  
__He was forever on his way...__  
__But some adventures seem to never end_


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER NINTEEN **

It was a couple weeks later that the set out again on another patrol. Aurora was not accompanying them, however. It was just Blair, Arthur, Gwaine, Percival, Elyan, and of course Merlin.

They were on their way to Camelot's northern borders to flush out a bandit camp.

"What's that?" Merlin asked Blair just as the lady knight gulped down a purplish liquid.

"Just some medicine to suppress my _monthly gift_ as Aurora puts it," Blair said, and then she smirked as the men quickly changed the topic.

All of a sudden there was a rustle in the woods. All knights snapped to attention.

They heard an animal-like noise and relaxed.

"Probably just a deer," Arthur commented.

"Then I'm going to go fetch us some dinner," Blair grinned.

"Be careful," Merlin warned as she gathered her bow and knife.

"Aren't I always?" And with that she was out of the camp and hunting the poor deer that didn't stand a chance.

Merlin started to ready the fire to cook the dinner that Blair was sure to catch.

Twenty minutes went by.

Then thirty.

They all started getting worried.

Forty minutes came and went.

Merlin was getting especially worried by now.

"It shouldn't be taking her this long!" Merlin cried, pacing back and forth.

"Not every hunt is over and done with in twenty minutes, Merlin," Arthur tried to comfort his frantic manservant.

"But she's the best hunter out of all of us," Merlin commented, "We all know that it never takes her this long to hunt a deer."

They waited a couple more minutes and then Blair came stumbling into the camp.

"Blair!" Merlin cried, "Finally! Where's the…"

But he trailed off when he noticed the dagger sticking out of her chest, all the way to the hilt.

"BLAIR!" Merlin shouted.

He rushed over to her and caught her just as she fell.

He eased her to the ground and held her in his arms.

Merlin looked down at the dagger and eased it out of her body. It was covered to the hilt in her blood.

The rest of the knights had already crowded around her and Merlin by now.

Arthur grabbed her hand as Merlin rocked her back and forth.

"It's not too bad," Merlin gasped, choked with tears, "We can fix you. You'll be alright." But even as he said it, he knew it was not true.

Blair chuckled. A small, sad chuckle, "This is something, Merlin, that even you cannot undo."

"But I could use…" Merlin trailed off as Blair put a finger to his lips and silenced him.

"I've already lost so many people," Merlin gasped, "I can't loose you too."

If any of the knights thought, w_ho have you lost, Merlin, _none of them voiced it.

"I know, Merlin," tears started to fall down Blair's cheeks as well, "I am so, so sorry."

She turned her head from Merlin to Arthur, who was still holding her hand.

"Morgana," she rasped, "Morgana's amassing an army, to attack Camelot. She means to attack within the next three months. That's all the information I could get before he stabbed me."

"Who? Who stabbed you? Who told you this?" Arthur asked, urgently.

"It doesn't matter now," Blair said sadly, "But you must prepare Camelot's forces. You must be able to meet her head-on. Only when you embrace the only thing that can defeat her."

"What does that mean?" Arthur asked, but Blair ignored the question and turned back to Merlin.

She cupped Merlin's face with both hands.

"I ask only two things of you, Merlin," she said.

"Anything," Merlin gasped, "Anything you want, it will be done."

"I don't want a big burial. Simply lay me down under this tree and cover me with the fallen leaves, to be at one with nature and the earth."

Merlin nodded and tears dripped down from his nose to her forehead.

"Second, never stop fighting, any of you," she turned her gaze to encompass all the knights and then turned back to Merlin, "Promise me, that. That you will never stop fighting. Never stop believing in yourself."

Merlin shook his head, "You can't go. I have nothing _to _believe in of fight for without you."

"Yes you do," Blair said firmly, "Promise me. Please."

"I promise," Merlin gave up, there was no use, "I will always fight for you, Blair, my love."

"Percival," she called and the knight came to kneel beside her.

"Don't you ever leave my sister, you hear?" she threatened, "Protect her with every fiver of your being. If anything happens to her, I will haunt you until the edge of time."

Percival nodded, "I will always protect her with my life."

"Good," Blair nodded her approval and then finally turned back to Merlin again.

It had started to drizzle slightly and rain fell down on them with soft patters.

Merlin leaned down and rested his forehead on her's.

"Please don't leave me," he whispered to her, "I can't lose you."

"I'm so sorry, Merlin," she said, "But there's nothing you can do to save me now."

"There must be a way," he cried.

"Just hold me close," Blair said.

Merlin started to say something but Blair silenced him yet again. But it would be the last time.

"Just hold me close," she repeated, "All I need to know is that you're here. The rain can hardly hurt me now. And rain will make the flowers grow."

She tried to smile again.

Her voice was but a whisper as she uttered her final words, "I love you, Merlin."

She took a few shuttering, gasping breaths before falling limp in Merlin's arms, her hands falling from his face.

Merlin pulled her body close to his and screamed, putting all his frustration and sorrow and anger in one word: "NO!"

"No, no, no," he muttered, rocking back and forth, still clutching Blair to his chest.

That nights, the soft rain was still falling through the night sky on the knights as they laid Blair under the willow tree that she ha died under and covered her with a blanket of leaves.

"I will always love you," Merlin whispered to her grave and the wind whisked away his words into the starless sky.


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY **

Aurora clutched her stomach as she stood over the funeral pry. Blair's Camelot cloak and one of her many swords lay there, burning.

Percival had his arm around her. Merlin stood next to Aurora, hand over his mouth, trying not to cry.

"What were her last words, Merlin?" Aurora gasped through her tears.

"She warned us that Morgana's army will be attacking within the next two months. She also made me promise to keep fighting," Merlin answered, choking through the words.

"She also made me promise to protect you, or else her ghost will haunt me," Percival said.

"Of course she did," Aurora smiled a sad, watery smile. "What else did she say?"

"I held her and she said, _just hold me close, that's all I need to know. The rain can hardly hurt me now, and rain will make the flowers grow_."

Aurora looked incredulous. "She said that?"

"Yes," Merlin said, confusedly, "Why?"

"That's a quote from her favorite book, called _Les Misérables_. She always said she was going to quote that line when she died," Aurora responded.

They stayed silent, watching the fire burn.

Over the next week, Arthur started to prepare the army and the citadel for the impending attack. Merlin went about his chores, but everyone in the castle noticed that both he and Aurora were sullen and depressed. Even through everyone's noble efforts to cheer their spirits, they remained that way.

Aurora wore only black dresses and even Merlin wore a black tunic.

No one even knew he had a black tunic.

Time went buy, and soon Percival managed to cheer up Aurora and Merlin busied himself with learning about a young boy who had risen through the ranks of Morgana's army suspiciously fast and right to her side.

But there was nothing really to learn about this strange boy, other than the fact that he was now Morgana's right hand man.

And so Merlin regressed in depression yet again.

A few weeks later, the knights were saddling their horses, ready to ride out with the army, to war. They had gotten news from an ally of Camelot that Morgana's army was moving, and so Arthur meant to meet them.

Aurora burst through the doors of the castle, holding her dark skirts in her hands as she rushed down the stairs. She ran straight at Percival and threw herself into his arms.

"You can't leave me here, please," Aurora sobbed into his shoulder, "If you have to go, take me with you."

"I can't do that," Percival stroked her hair, "I couldn't let anything happen to you. I couldn't let you get hurt."

"I wont get hurt, nothing will happen to me," Aurora insisted, lifting her head and staring into his eyes, "Please let me come."

"Why do you want to come so badly?" Percival asked.

"Because if you're to die, I want to spend as much time with you as I can."

Percival stared into her eyes, debating with himself.

"She has a point, you know," they heard Gwen say from behind them.

"See!" Aurora cried, "Gwen agrees with me!"

"But, Aurora," Gwen said, "We have work to do here. We must hold the castle down. That is our job, as ladies of the court. To hold and run the castle. To keep the core of things going while the men are at war."

Aurora looked at Gwen to Percival to Arthur a few times before relenting.

"Fine," She sighed, "But you'd better come back."

"I'll do my best," Percival laughed.

"You'll do better than that," Aurora shot back.

There was silence between them before Percival said, somberly, "If I do die, promise me you'll move on."

"No."

"Please, swear on your heart that you _will_ forget me and move on."

"I can't swear on my heart, because it will stop the day you die."

They exchanged a long and passionate kiss, as did Arthur and Gwen, and every other knight who was leaving someone behind.

Merlin hugged Gaius and then they were riding out of the main gates, the hundreds of men marching off to war, and most of them, to their deaths.

Two evenings later, they were still making their way to the battle site, when Arthur was sitting in his tent, with Gwaine, Leon, Elyan and, Percival, going over some plans.

"Where is my lazy, toad of a servant?" He asked all of them in general, "I need him to deliver something."

Percival pointed to somewhere behind Arthur.

"I'm right here, sire," Merlin said, from where he was standing at the back of the tent."

"Ah, there you are," Arthur said, "You were so quiet, I didn't know you were there."

Merlin moved forward, ready to do what Arthur asked of him. Arthur gave him some things to bring to one of the generals.

"You know, you're a much better servant when you aren't chatting away," Arthur commented as Merlin was leaving the tent.

Merlin stopped at the flap of the tent and looked back at Arthur with an expression that Arthur had learned not to like.

"What is it, Merlin?" he sighed, "if you've got something to say, say it."

"Is that all I'm ever going to be to you, Arthur? A servant?" Merlin asked, obviously forcing down emotion, "After all I've done for you? All the times I've helped you, watched your back? After all the times I've risked my life for you, is that all I'll ever be in your eyes? A useless servant?"

"Merlin," Arthur started in that confused/petulant voice he gets sometimes, "When have you ever risked your life for me?"

"More than you know." He replied dryly, "After what I just said that's all you can say? I guess I was wrong. I'll only ever be a servant to you."

And with that, Merlin exited the tent. Arthur rose and called after him but he was gone into the night, in the directions of the general's tent.

Arthur started to make _his _way out of the tent, but the knights pulled him back.

"Give him some time," Percival said, "Let him cool off."

"No, it's ok," Arthur replied and again moved towards the door, "I know how to deal with him when he's like this."

"No, you don't," Gwaine responded.

Arthur looked to him inquisitively and somewhat indignantly. He started to say something, but Elyan cut him off.

"I think, with the exception of you and Leon, all of us have felt what Merlin is feeling. When someone above you is treating you like trash. The best thing to do is just let him cool off."

Arthur sat down in his chair, head in his hands. "Is that the way I treat him? Like trash?"

The knights looked back and forth from each other before Gwaine answered, "No offense, Arthur, but yes. Almost all the time. And for the record, he's saved your life a lot. Especially when you haven't known it."

Arthur nodded somberly and took this all in.

A few minutes later, Merlin walked in.

"The items have been delivered, sire," he said, staring at a place somewhere above Arthur's head. Then, he took his place at the back of the tent.

Arthur looked like he was going to say something, but, with a warning look from Gwaine, he didn't.

That evening, as Merlin prepared Arthur's bedroll, Arthur said, "I'm sorry, Merlin. For the way I treat you."

"It's ok, sire," Merlin replied, not meeting Merlin's eyes, "You needn't apologize. I was not thinking when I said those things."

"But you were right to."

Merlin looked up at Arthur incredulously.

"It's wrong the way I've been treating you all these years. Especially recently after… well."

Merlin nodded his forgiveness and turned his attention back to the bedroll.

Arthur grabbed Merlin in a half-Nelson.

"No! Arthur! Ah!" he cried as Arthur knuckled Merlin's head.

And first time in weeks, Merlin laughed.


	22. Chapter 22

**Sorry i haven't updated in a while, but here you go!**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE **

A few days later, they were still traveling.

They were sitting around in Arthur's tent when Arthur said, "Do we have a bard with us?"

"I am here, mi'lord," a faint voice said. A young boy moved forward. He couldn't have been more than fifteen and he was as skinny as a stick. He wore a bard's robes, the hood of which was pulled so far over his face that his features were lost in shadow. There was a harp on his back.

"What is your name, young boy?" Arthur asked as the boy bowed before him.

"Briar, if it pleases you, mi'lord," Briar answered.

"You may stand, Briar," Arthur motioned with his hand for the boy to stand, "Will you take off your hood?"

"I would rather not, mi'lord," Briar answered.

"Very well," Arthur nodded, leaning back in his chair, "Sing us a song."

Briar sat down in a chair and pulled his harp.

"_Home is behind._

_The world ahead._

_And there are many paths to tread._

_Through shadow._

_To the edge of night_

_Until the stars are all alight._

_Mist and shadow._

_Cloud and shade_

_All shall fade_

_All shall… fade."_

The song finished, the last note fading into the night.

Merlin frowned. He knew that voice. That singing voice, he's heard it before. Merlin couldn't remember where. But he knew he knew it. _Briar has probably sung in Camelot before_. But even as he thought it, he knew it not to be true.

"That was beautiful," Arthur said, adoration and emotion in his voice, and also snapping Merlin out of his thoughts, "Sing us another song."

Briar nodded and took a breath to begin again.

_Deep in the heart of darkness sparks a dream of light__  
__surrounded by hopelessness, she finds the will to fight.__  
__There's no surrender, always remember__  
__it doesn't end here, we're not alone__just wait though wide she may roam__  
__always a hero comes home__  
__She goes where no one has gone__  
__but always a hero comes home__And she will come back on a crimson tide, dead or alive__  
__and even though we know the bridge has burned__  
__She will return, She will return__Just wait, though wide she may roam__  
__always a hero comes home__  
__she knows of places unknown__  
__but always a hero comes home__someday they'll carve in stone__  
__"the hero comes home"__  
__She goes and comes back alone__  
__but always a hero comes home__Just wait though wide she may roam__  
__always a hero comes home_

Somewhere in the middle of the song, he remembered where he had heard Briar's voice. He couldn't believe it, but he was positive.

He started walking forward to confront the minstrel. Arthur and the knights in the tent watched Merlin with confused eyes.

Briar saw Merlin moving towards him. Briar laid down his harp gently. Still keeping his hood over his face he turned and started to run to the door of the tent.

"Stop him!" Merlin cried.

The guards at the door leveled their spears at Briar. He looked all around him. There was nowhere to go. The cloth of the tent was to thick to cut through in a few seconds and there were armed knights and guards. And Briar knew what Merlin was capable of.

Merlin advanced towards Briar.

Briar gave up. There was nowhere to run. He was trapped.

He stood straight and proud as Merlin came in front of him.

Merlin raised his hand.

And flung the hood of the minstrels' face.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUH Cliffie! hope you enjoyed it! I'll be updating the next chapter soon because im already half-way done. **

**the two songs in this chapter were 1. _the Steward of Gondor_ from The return of the King and 2. _A Hero Comes Home_ from the movie Beowolf. **

**Stay tuned!**

**-Sasha**


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

The knights stared in amazement at the face that was revealed.

"How?" Merlin breathed, "How is this possible?"

"For before them stood Blair, alive and breathing.

"I was never dead," she replied, not meeting Merlin's eyes. She couldn't bear to see the pain and the betrayal that was churning in them.

"I mourned for you, Blair." It was a whisper but she flinched, it piercing her heart more than a shout. She would rather he shout, for then she would not feel so guilty, she could feel defensive. But he was so quiet, so gentle, even when he was hurt the way she knew he was.

"I…" she couldn't formulate a sentence. "I..."

He took her chin in his and made her look at him. "Why? Why would you do this to me?"

"I'm so, so sorry, Merlin." she replied, in a sad tone, "I could have done it a different way, I would have. But I had no choice. I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. In anyway."

And with that, she saw the forgiveness in his eyes, and he saw the sorrow in hers.

He pulled her to him and kissed her. It was slow and passionate, and contained all the sorrow they felt while they were apart and their joy of their reunion.

The knights averted their eyes to give them a shred of privacy.

When they broke apart, Merlin led her to the table. They all sat down.

"So tell us everything. How are you not dead?" Arthur asked.

"About two weeks before we went on that mission, I had a visit from a druid," Blair started, "He told me that I had to take this potion, every night, for my own good. I made him take a truth serum, and when I saw that he was telling the truth, I agreed. I didn't know what it was for or why I had to take it, but I did. It was the potion I took that day. I lied to you about what it was. Then I was stabbed. I really did think I was dying. And then I woke up, under the tree. I realized the potion was for if something like that happened. It slowed my heart rate and breathing down to nigh imperceptible, and speeds up the healing of my wounds. I woke up and I knew what I must do."

"And what was that?" Merlin asked.

The knights and Merlin were listening intently.

Blair smiled and looked at Merlin. "A young boy who rises straight to Morgana's side a little too quickly doesn't sound the least but suspicious to you?"

The knights grinned. "That was you?" Gwaine said, incredulously.

"Yes," Blair grinned, too, "And I have a lot of information about Morgana, too."

"Then let us get to planning," Arthur prompted.

They spent the night planning battles and attack strategies.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE **

The next morning, Arthur stood in front of his legions.

"Today, for better or for worse, it is the end. This where it ends. We may fall, but we will die with honor, for there is nothing greater than fighting for your family. For your freedom. For your home from the evil of magic!"

Arthur thrust his sword, which he had pulled from the stone, "FOR THE LOVE OF CAMELOT!"

The cry echoed across the field, going from mouth to mouth of every soldier.

Arthur turned. His most trusted knights were behind him, along with Merlin.

They faced the legions of Morgana's men, across the field from them.

Morgana glanced at her general. He responded by yelling, "CHARGE!"

And the battle had begun.

Even in the first five minutes of the battle, soldiers fell left and right, on both sides.

Merlin looked around. Camelot soldiers were falling by the dozens. Four of every Camelot soldier to every one of Morgana's men. There were flashes of lights around. Morgana's men were sorcerers!

Merlin looked around. Arthur was in the midst of battle with a sorcerer who was shooting spell after spell.

Merlin muttered under his breath, casting a protection spell around all his friends.

He found Blair holding her sword, blocking a blinding spell from the sorcerer she was fighting.

He sprinted over to her and shot a spell at the sorcerer, who fell to the ground.

He enveloped her in a hug.

"We're loosing, Merlin. We're loosing badly." She said.

"I know. I have a plan." He explained it to her. "But I need you to get Arthur to pull back his forces slightly. So I'll have room."

"I think what your planning is going to make room enough. But I'll try," she responded.

They hugged again.

"Now go!" she shouted at him as another sorcerer attacked her.

She raised her sword and charged, screaming, "For the love of Camelot!"

She pulled her sword out of his body and made her way to Arthur, killing soldiers and sorcerers on her way.

"Arthur!" she cried.

When she got to him, she helped him finish off the man he was fighting.

"We're loosing by the dozens, Blair," he told her.

"I know," she responded, "Merlin's got a plan."

"Merlin?" Arthur asked incredulously, "Merlin has a plan?"

"Just trust him for once will you?" Blair snapped and then turned and cut an attacking sorcerer clean in half.

"He's going to need help, though," she said as she turned back to Arthur.

"What does he need?" Arthur sighed.

"He needs some space. He wants to us to pull back slightly. Form ranks, so he can face Morgana."

"He can't face Morgana alone!" Arthur cried.

"Just trust him. He's got a plan."

Arthur sighed again and nodded.

"KNIGHTS! PULL BACK! FORM RANKS!" Arthur shouted.

As quickly as they could, the knights and soldiers did so, forming lines behind Arthur. Morgana's men did the same behind her.

There was about twenty feet between them as they faced each other.

"What's wrong, Arthur?" Morgana cooed, "Don't have the courage to keep fighting?"

"Why did this happen to you Morgana? Why did you let magic corrupt you?" Arthur asked across the gap.

Morgana just smiled evilly.

"It wasn't magic that corrupted her," Blair said from her place beside Arthur. "She chose to use magic in such a way. Magic is only as evil as the person who uses it. Magic used for evil just stands out more in memory than magic used for good. Morgana has used her powers for evil means. But where there is evil, there is good. When there is darkness, there must be light."

Before Arthur or Morgana could respond they heard a roar.

All eyes turned to the sky. There, flying above them, was the Great Dragon.

"Shoot it down!" Arthur yelled.

"NO!" Blair yelled back, "DON'T SHOOT!"

Arthur gave her a withering look but let the archers follow her command.

The dragon landed in the space between the armies.

Everyone (except Blair of course) did a double take.

For sitting upon it's back was Merlin.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur asked, distraught.

"Arthur," Merlin responded, "Meet Kilgarrah."

Arthur, and the knights, just gaped.

Merlin climbed down off Kilgarrah's back and said, to the dragon, "Thank you, Kilgarrah."

"The pleasure has been all mine, old friend. Especially seeing their faces." And with that, Kilgarrah jumped into the air and flew away.

"And now that I have your attention," Merlin began.


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

"Step aside, Merlin," Morgana drawled, "The important people have a fight to finish."

"Morgana," Merlin said, ignoring Morgana's offensive comment, "I'm giving you one last chance."

"For what?"

"To stop this. You could be great. You could learn good magic, and be renowned for it. You are powerful, but if you decide to keep using your powers for evil, I will have no choice but to stop you."

"And how could you do that?" Morgana asked, snidely.

"He's going to get himself killed," Arthur muttered and moved forward to pull Merlin back, but Blair stopped him. Merlin shot Blair a thankful look before turning back to Morgana.

"You're magic, Morgana," he continued, "Could save millions of lives. But instead, you use it to kill. And that is something that cannot continue. It is a misuse of your power. It upsets the balance of nature. It tips things in strange ways. You call upon magic that should not be used for one person's own gain. You do not deserve the title of Priestess of the Old Religion."

"And what would you, Merlin, know of powerful magic, let alone any magic at all?" Morgana snarled, starting to loose her temper, "You're just a lowly servant who Arthur barely gives the time of day."

Arthur flinched.

Merlin still kept a calm expression, "I know more than you have ever guessed."

"I doubt that," Morgana snorted.

All of a sudden there was a blinding flash of light. When all had recovered their sight, they saw Merlin holding up his hand and Morgana suspended in the air.

Arthur and the knights just barely glimpsed the gold before it faded out of his eyes. Arthur started and shook his head. Merlin couldn't have magic.

Then Morgana dropped to the ground.

She looked up at the man standing above her.

"You have magic," she whispered.

"I always have," he said.

_How could he have hid it from me all these years? _Arthur thought to himself, but he decided not to say anything aloud.

"But your just Merlin!" she cried, shaking her head in denial, as she started to stand, "A worthless serving boy!"

"Merlin, yes. Serving boy, yes. But worthless?" Merlin grinned, "Oh, no, never that."

Morgana screeched and through a ball of blue fire. Merlin caught it in his hand and it disappeared.

"But there is still hope for you Morgana. I don't want to hurt you," Merlin said, "but I will if I have to."

"I will never bow to the likes of you," Morgana screamed at him.

"Then you will die, here, upon this field, today, by my hand."

All of a sudden, Arthur's sword flew out of its sheath at his waist. Arthur tried to grab at it but it flew right into Merlin's outstretched hand.

He held it out for all to see, the sun glinting off its decorated blade.

"This is Excalibur," he told Morgana, "The sword that Arthur pulled from the rock. But it isn't just any sword. I told Arthur that it belonged to the first king of Camelot, who thrust it into the rock as he was dying. But that was a lie."

Merlin glanced at Arthur who was looking on at the proceedings with a dumbfounded expression.

Merlin continued, "It didn't belong to the first king of Camelot. I had it forged for Arthur, and it is very special."

"Enough of this banter," Morgana screeched and lunged at Merlin, knife in hand.

But she found herself impaled on the sword.

She looked down.

Merlin pulled it out and Morgana collapsed into his arms. He gently lowered the both of them to the ground.

"How?" she said, softly. Brokenly, looking up at him.

"Excalibur was formed in a dragon's breath. And I," Merlin said, "I am Emrys."

Morgana's last breath was a gasp as she died in Merlin's arm.

Merlin gently laid her down on the grass and then whispered something under his breath.

Morgana's body burst into flames and then, was gone.

"You have killed our queen," a sorcerer who was a general in Morgana's army stated quite simply.

Merlin glanced at him and then rose from his position on the ground.

"I am Emrys," his voice boomed across the field, and all could hear it, "I am the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth and I am the last Dragonlord!"

Both armies started at him in shock.

And then, much to the knights' surprise, Morgana's army laid down their swords and fell to their knees.

"All hail Lord Emrys!" the general shouted.

"ALL HAIL LORD EMRYS!" the cry was echoed by all of Morgana's army.

"You may rise," Merlin's voice resounded, "You need not bow to me. I am not of noble blood."

The soldiers rose.

"But you have saved us all from Morgana's spell. You are the most powerful of us all. You are our king."

"I am not your king. We are all equal," Merlin said, "In any event, go home to your families to your tribes. Live in peace."

"Thank you, Lord Emrys," the general said, "My name is Imardir. If you ever need my help, just call my name to the wind and I will be there."

"Thank you for your service," Merlin responded. "Now go home."

And with that, all of the druid sorcerers whispered words and their eyes glowed gold and they were gone.

Merlin turned to Arthur.

Arthur just stared at him, his face showing awe, admiration, and betrayal.

"Please say something," Merlin said to him and then turned to the knights, "Anyone say something please."

"You kept this a secret from e all this time," Arthur stated.

"It was necessary."

"You have magic!" Arthur cried, and then looked at a few of the soldiers, "Arrest him."


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE **

"MERLIN!" Blair cried as the guards dragged Merlin to a horse.

"Blair!" he shouted back, struggling against the guards, but not able to use his magic for the chains that had been quickly locked around his wrists.

Blair surged toward him.

"Restrain her," Arthur said to his knights, somewhat dryly.

Gwaine and Percival moved forward and grabbed a hold of her.

"NO!" she screamed and pulled against them with all her strength, "LET ME GO!"

"It'll be alright!" Merlin shouted, "We'll get through this!"

Blair managed to get an arm away from who ever was holding it back and she held it out to Merlin, as if she would grab onto him and never let go.

Blair continued to struggle, but Percival and Gwaine combined was too much for her. They held her back as she struggled to him.

Merlin just stared into her eyes, lovingly; longingly; regretfully, and let the men drag him to a horse.

"Bring her here," Arthur motioned Gwaine and Percival forward.

Blair had stopped struggling and they led her, gently, to stand in front of Arthur.

"You can't do this!" she cried, desperately, "Do you even know how much he did for you and for Camelot? You owe him your life!"

He looked into her eyes. Her blue irises were churning with despair and helplessness, and also with anger toward him.

"So you've known all along?" he asked.

"Of course," Blair responded. "And he's told me everything he's done for you. But that shouldn't matter. He's been your friend for years. He's the only one who has never left your side. He is the only one who's never wavered in his loyalty. And yet you condemn him to die, burnt at the stake, like something evil and shameful."

"Nothing you can say can convince me otherwise," Arthur said. His voice was cold.

"Then you are not the king Merlin believed you were. You don't deserve all the things he gave you. You don't deserve all the times he saved your life. You're just like Uther, persecuting those who aren't like you just because you can't accept they're different."

And with that, she spit on the ground at Arthur's feet, "You're a coward, Arthur Pendragon. And I will never let you get away with this."

"Those are the words of treason," Arthur's voice was angry now.

"And I will gladly speak them over and over again," Blair raised her chin and glared, her upper lip curling into a scowl of disgust.

"I don't want to have to persecute you beside Merlin. You can still be a knight and do what you do best: fight. Do you really want to leave your sister all alone."

"My sister has Percival to protect her. I still trust him with her life. But I could never fight for someone I despise with every fiber of my being."

Arthur sighed, "Then there is nothing I can do for you."

"I don't want your help," Blair snarled.

"Chain her to a horse. Away from Merlin. In the front so he can see her."

Blair spat at Arthur one more time before Gwaine and Percival took her by the arms and led her to a horse.

"I can walk myself," she snarled and shook them off, walking to the horse herself and holding out her hands, waiting for the rope to bind them.

"I'm sorry," Gwaine whispered as he bound her hands.

"If there's anything we can do, just let us know," Percival muttered as well, "Merlin is our friend, too."

"If I know Merlin, he will not even try his magic to escape. He still believes Arthur will pull through and will be different from Uther. Merlin will stand by that belief till the day he dies. And though I know the truth, I will die beside him, like it should be."

"Percival, Gwaine, Leon, Elyan, let us begin the journey back to Camelot," Arthur instructed and mounted his horse, "Soldiers, stay behind and tally the dead."

The knights mounted their horses, Blair walking in front, Merlin walking in back.

Merlin cursed himself. He should have magicked Blair out of here, for he expected what she would do. But a part of him was grateful for her loyalty to him.

As the horses started walking, Blair and Merlin were yanked forward.

"With all the supplies still with the soldiers, we will reach Camelot sooner," Arthur declared, "I guess the journey will only take a few days."

"Very good, sire," Leon said.

None of the other knights said anything.

After about a mile, Blair began to whistle and then to sing.

She sang songs about heroes freeing the world from the tyranny of horrible, unjust kings, and then a song about kings who saved damsels and ruled with generosity. Every time the song ended she would look to the sky and say, "It's too bad there aren't more men like that," and then she would begin another song.

This continued every day all day until they reached Camelot.

The rode through the main gates and found Gwen, Gaius, and Aurora there to meet them.

"Thank goodness you're all alright!" Aurora cried and rushed down the stairs

"Not all of us are," Blair commented, dryly.

Gwen, Gaius, and Aurora looked to Blair and then to Merlin.

"Arthur, what is the meaning of this?" Gwen said, distressed as she came to stand beside him.

"Merlin has been caught using magic and Blair is to be tried for high treason."

"And happily, too, milady, for I could never stand by as your husband the king kills an innocent man such as Merlin," Blair said, this time quite cheerily.

"Merlin is not innocent, he has been keeping this secret from me for years. A secret that he has magic no less. It is the laws of the land," Arthur responded.

"Oh, Merlin," Gaius breathed as he embraced the boy who was like his son.

"It's alright, Gaius," Merlin said, smiling sadly, "I have fulfilled my destiny. Albion is united, magic will someday be returned, and Morgana is dead. I have succeeded."

"Throw them in the cells," Arthur sighed, "Separate ones."

The guards at the door grabbed them both and dragged them to the dungeons, throwing them into two separate dungeons.

Thankfully, they could fit their hands through the bars separating the cells.

They held hands that night.

_White grows the lily, Red grows the rose_

_Here lies my laddie, See how he grows_

_One day he'll leave me, To cross shadowed sea_

_Pray god protect him, keep him safe with me_

_The rose shows its wisdoms, from love lost on youth_

_Protector of passions and soilder of truth_

_For royal resplendence I bow to it's bloom_

_But thorns rest beneat it, and there lies his doom_

_White grows the lily, Red grows the rose_

_Here lies my laddie, See how he grows_

_Soon must he leave me, To cross shadowed sea_

_Pray god protect him, let him stay free_

_The lily knows little, but innocence scorned_

_On banner of blood shed for villians adorned_

_like pale ghosts in moonlight, I fear for their fate_

_to grow on a gravesite, may yet be too late_

_White grows the lily, Red grows the rose_

_Here lies my laddie, See how he grows_

_Now he must leave me, And cross shadowed sea_

_Pray god protect him, return him to me_

_This garden is weary, its soil is tolled_

_For deacades in termoil, its left bled for gold_

_My son is a child, but man he'll soon be_

_with red rose upon him, he'll die by lily_

_White grows the lily, Red grows the rose_

_Here lies my laddie, oh how the wind blows!_

_Now he has left me, to lie neath green lee_

_Pray god protect him, keep him safe for me_


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX **

The next morning, Gaius came down with Aurora to visit the cells.

The old physician handed them both their breakfasts, and then began to talk with Merlin in hushed tones.

"So you came back from the dead, huh?" Aurora asked Blair, coldly.

"You don't seem as surprised as I thought you'd be," Blair commented.

"Percy sent a messenger back to me when you showed up at camp," Aurora responded.

"Ah."

There was silence between the two sisters for a moment.

"How could you do that to me?" Aurora sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Aura, I really am," Blair reached her hands through the bars and held onto her sister's hands, "I never wanted to hurt you."

"You could have sent one tiny message back," Aurora cried, "Something that told me you weren't DEAD! I wouldn't have told anyone if you asked me not to."

"I couldn't risk it, Aura, I'm sorry."

"And now you're sentenced to death right after I got you back," Aurora tried to compose herself, "What am I supposed to do now? Let you be executed?"

"Yes," Blair responded.

Aurora started.

"You need to protection Arthur can give you," Blair said, "You must let them do to me what they will. If you try and resist, you'll be killed, too, and all that I have done for you will be for nothing."

"You're not going to escape?" Aurora gasped.

"I will not be able to live if I do not have Merlin beside me, and he refuses to escape," Blair explained.

Aurora shook her head, "I always knew you were a couple tomatoes short of a salad."

Blair laughed bitterly.

"I like tomatoes," she joked sadly.

Then, all of a sudden, the door to the dungeon banged open and there was Arthur, walking towards them.

"Aurora, Gaius," he said, "I want to talk to the prisoners alone."

Aurora curtsied and Gaius bowed and they walked out together.

"Merlin," Arthur said coldly.

"Hello, Arthur" Merlin's voice sad.

"You haven't even tried to escape," Arthur commented, "And after what I've heard and seen, I know you can. And you could probably get Blair out too."

He glanced at her. She hadn't said a word, and was sitting calmly in the corner of her cell, letting Arthur and Merlin have their "talk".

"Why would I?" Merlin responded, "What would we do? Spend our lives running?"

"You would be alive."

"Why do you care?" Merlin countered.

"I'm just trying to figure you out," Arthur replied.

"I'm giving you time to change your mind," Merlin explained, "If I escape, then you'll have no choice but to execute me. But if I stay here, you can always change your mind."

"What makes you think I'll change my mind?"

"Because I know you, Arthur, maybe even better than you do. You are a good person at heart. You'll realize that executing me is a mistake."

"You've lied to me for all these years!" Arthur cried, "Why should I let you live?"

"Because, in your heart, you know that all I've ever done has been for you. For Camelot. For the kingdom I knew you could build. One where people of all kinds can live in peace."

"You are a sorcerer, a liar, and a traitor."

Merlin just stared at him.

Then, calmly, Merlin rested his head against the stone wall, closed his eyes and said, "Then you are not the king I believed you to be and I will die with that knowledge."

Arthur moved over to Blair's cell because Merlin was clearly done talking.

Blair stared at him with eyes that Arthur could not decipher.

"Do you even know how may times he's saved your life?" she asked him.

When Arthur shook his head, she said, "More times than you can count."

And then she lay down like Merlin and slept.

Arthur left the dungeons, their words swimming in his head.

The next morning, guards came to escort Merlin and Blair to be executed. But instead of leading them to the courtyard, they were brought to the great hall, where Arthur sat in his throne, Gwen beside him. All the knights, nobles, Gaius, and Aurora were crowded into the room, but they made way for the guards and the prisoners.

"Today was to be the execution date of my servant, Merlin and Sir Blair, Lady Knight of Camelot."

He looked around at his audience.

"But after some thought, I decided that today, nor tomorrow, nor any other day, will these two people die. I have come to realize, that, by executing these two innocent people, I will become exactly like my father. I have decided that magic will no longer be outlawed in Camelot."

There was a collective gasp across the room. Merlin smiled.

"Release them from their bonds," Arthur instructed the guards.

They unshackled Merlin and Blair and the two stood.

"Merlin will be the official Court Sorcerer. Every magic used in Camelot will have to come to him to be registered in the official sorcerer census, every year. They're spells will be monitored, and if they perform any harmful ones, they will be brought to trial. After three offenses, their right to the use of their magic will be taken. This is my official proclamation. Let it be know throughout the kingdom."

Three weeks later, Merlin (who was dressed in a High Sorcerer's robes) and Arthur stood at a table in the hall, where all the sorcerers in the kingdom were lined up to register themselves in the first census.

Blair was standing behind Merlin, and he reached back and grabbed her hand.

For Merlin had succeeded in his mission. Magic was once again accepted in Camelot.

The world of Albion was born and there were many prosperous years to come.

* * *

**AN: and there you have it. The End. I hope you all will always remember Blair and Aurora. :D**

**Sincerely,**

**Sasha **


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